


i adore you (enough to get dizzy)

by hosaki



Series: boys be [2]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bisexuality, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Partying, Sexual Tension, Song Lyrics, Teasing, also some mild angst bc why not, and mingyu forgets how to be smooth, basically wonwoo is a huge ass flirt, but honestly adore u is a cute song, insp: adore u, so idk what this fic is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 15:23:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17963108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hosaki/pseuds/hosaki
Summary: “Free dessert to any couple who kisses at the counter!”Mingyu’s had his fair share of one night stands in the past, so kissing a stranger shouldn’t be a huge deal to him - until he decides to ask a guy he met once at a party, months ago, to kiss him for free food.He doesn’t really know what he’s getting into with this Wonwoo guy, but he thinks he likes it.





	i adore you (enough to get dizzy)

**Author's Note:**

> oof, so this turned out a lot more mature than i intended it to be. adore u is a cute and innocent song but for some reason the lyrics inspired … this. there’s no explicit smut but like it’s just a shitload of sexual tension and some sexual content - so i rated it mature just in case!!
> 
> i swear this fic suits getting closer better, but wHOOPS too late

_I’m on fire right now because of you_  
_It’s impossible to cool me down_  
_I’m on fire right now because of you_  
_I don’t know, I don’t know, it’ll happen somehow_

_So what I mean is, I want to know all of you_  
_I’ll sing you, U Hoo, I’ll sing you, U Hoo_  
_Even if my lips are dry, I need to say this baby_  
_I adore you, I adore you, enough to get dizzy_

( **[Adore U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypHKMLBe7d0)** , 2015) 

+++

“Do we really need milk?” Mingyu groans, not wanting to spend another 2000 won on a carton of milk which would probably spoil in the fridge.

“You wanna eat cereal dry?” Seokmin rolls his eyes, chucking the milk into their trolley pointedly. “We’ll split the cost. Don’t worry.”

“You know how broke I am,” Mingyu whines. 

“Bro, we’re all in the same boat,” Seokmin says, “And that boat is the Titanic. We’re all sinking. But we’re _in it together_.”

Mingyu sighs at the reference to that American musical Hansol had made them watch last night. It had good music, but Mingyu was more annoyed at the fact that Hansol kept talking throughout the movie, complaining that the subtitles weren’t accurate enough and that they should all just become fluent in English to _’properly appreciate this masterpiece’_.

“Please don’t burst out into song here,” Mingyu warns Seokmin, who he knew had a tendency to sing loudly whenever he felt like it, “The world doesn’t work like High School Musical. No one’s going to join you in some impromptu flash mob.”

“Which is why I keep saying this world is boring,” Seokmin says sadly, “Nothing exciting ever happens. Everyone’s the same old normal.”

“I’d like it to stay that way,” Mingyu says contentedly. They head to the counter to pay for their groceries, Seokmin insisting he’d pay first and they’d figure out how to split it with their other two roommates upon reaching the dorm.

Mingyu checks his bank account on the way back to their dorm and groans loudly, attracting the attention of nearby strangers, who give him quizzical and somewhat judgemental looks. Seokmin smiles sheepishly at them, grabbing Mingyu’s arm and pulling him along faster.

“Sometimes I can’t tell if people are staring at you because you’re hot, or because you’re being an idiot,” Seokmin teases with a laugh. 

Mingyu looks at Seokmin, annoyed, but accepts it. “I can’t help being stupid, you know.”

Seokmin smiles brightly and ruffles Mingyu’s hair. “I’m joking. You’re not as stupid as you seem.”

“Am I meant to take that as a compliment?” Mingyu raises an eyebrow. They reach their door after a painstaking wait for the elevator (they only live on the fourth floor, but neither felt like trudging up the stairs carrying groceries), and knock loudly, hoping that either of their roommates are in.

“Coming,” a voice yells from inside, much to their relief. The door opens a few seconds later, revealing a dripping Minghao, a towel wrapped lazily around his waist and a shirt seemingly thrown on three seconds ago. “Oh, you could’ve just said it was you. I wouldn’t have bothered putting on a shirt.”

“Sorry for all the trouble,” Mingyu scoffs, pushing past him and plopping the groceries down onto the counter. 

“Where’s Hansol?” Seokmin asks as Minghao returns to the bathroom to finish changing. 

“He went out with Seungkwan,” Minghao says from the bathroom. He returns to the kitchen a second later, grabbing a chocolate bar from a grocery bag and tearing it open.

“Hey!” Mingyu protests, “That’s mine.”

“Not anymore,” Minghao waves the bar tauntingly, causing Mingyu to try snatch it back. Minghao’s too fast; he whips his hand away at the last second, and Mingyu nearly loses his balance from swinging his arm too hard.

“Seokmin,” Mingyu whines, “Hold Minghao down for me.”

“We’ve got like ten more chocolate bars, calm down,” Seokmin says, dumping out the contents of the bags. He proceeds to put the milk and other vegetables in the fridge while Mingyu berates Minghao for stealing his chocolate bar.

“If you want chocolate so bad, you should check out that new dessert bar down the street,” Minghao says, mouth full.

“Oi, don’t talk while you’re eating,” Mingyu says, annoyed.

“There’s a new dessert place?” Seokmin raises his eyebrows, clearly interested.

“Yeah. Jun told me about it. Apparently they’re having heaps of promotions for opening, so you and your cheap ass should get over there ASAP.” Minghao finishes the bar, licks his fingers blatantly to spite Mingyu and throws the wrapper in the bin.

Mingyu grumbles slightly, but feels intrigued by the promise of cheap dessert. “Sounds cool. Wanna go check it out now?”

“As much as I _love_ spending time with you crackheads,” Minghao drawls sweetly, “I’m going out with Jun. Might not return tonight, so don’t wait up on me.” 

Seokmin wiggles his eyebrows. “You’ve already managed to hook him in that far?”

Minghao shrugs, a smirk playing on his lips. “What can I say? I’m Minghao.”

Mingyu rolls his eyes. “Then Seokmin? Wanna come?”

Seokmin looks down, embarrassed. “Sorry, Gyu. I’ve… got a date.”

“What?” Mingyu and Minghao exclaimed simultaneously. “It’s been forever since Lee Seokmin had an _actual date_!” Mingyu smirks.

“Haha,” Seokmin bites back, “Sorry that I’m not a guy who sleeps with anything and everything that _moves_ ,” he retorts, a bit harsher than intended. 

Mingyu goes silent; he’s sure that comment is directed at him, alone. Minghao isn’t exactly innocent either, though he’s had his fair share of flings - though recently, he’s seemed quite serious about this Jun guy.

Mingyu doesn’t believe in true love. He’s been in multiple relationships with both guys and girls alike, but he’s never felt anything more than lust. He doesn’t understand romantic novels which describe love as this amazing feeling, all butterflies in the stomach and nervous, sweaty palms. While he doesn’t exactly sleep with _anyone and everyone_ , he’s lost count of how many people he’s been with just for a few moments of pleasure. 

“I’m so sorry,” Seokmin immediately apologises. “I didn’t mean—“

“It’s fine,” Mingyu says quietly, not looking at him. “I’ll go myself. You guys have fun on your dates.”

He grabs his jacket and heads out, closing the door quietly. He doesn’t stick around to hear the hushed whispers that would undoubtedly come forth the moment he leaves. Seokmin and Minghao were arguably his closest friends, but sometimes even he felt isolated from them.

He sighs to himself and takes the stairs down, not feeling like waiting for the elevator and risking either of his friends coming out to apologise. He realises only when he steps out onto the street that he didn’t ask Minghao where the new dessert place is. He mentally face palms, but continues walking in the direction of the nearby mall for a distraction nonetheless.

On the way, his attention drifts to the large number of couples walking around holding hands, hugging and kissing in the street like no one was watching. He wonders to himself if being in love put such a genuine smile on one’s face, like the girl near the lamppost looking at her boyfriend as if he had diamonds in his eyes.

He passes by jewellery stores, with pink hearts and big SALE signs plastered all over the shop window; only then does Mingyu remember it’s Valentine’s Day.

“Of course,” Mingyu mutters to himself. “That’s why Minghao and Seokmin had things more important than me.”

But he’s just kidding himself - relationships would always be prioritised. When Seokmin was in his last relationship, a really nice girl named Yuna, he’d be occupied for days at a time, returning home very late and even then, not talking to anyone as he was engrossed with whatever messages she was sending him on his phone. Minghao too - whenever he had a thing going on with someone, he’d distance himself from everyone else to keep up whatever fling was happening at the time.

Mingyu wants to… _feel_. He wants to feel as excited as Seokmin looked whenever he texted his (now ex) girlfriend. He wants to kiss someone and feel _happy_ , not just aroused.

He shoves his hands in his pockets, puts his hood up and strolls past multiple storefronts without paying attention. He has to stop himself from impulsively asking a random girl on the street to be his Valentine. _”You have to stop with the random hookups, Mingyu,”_ he chides himself.

A giant, colourful sign catches his eye, and he comes to a stop outside what looks like a café of sorts. The store seems to be called “Adore U”, and the building is crowded with other students like Mingyu, though most seem to be with a date. Judging by the steady stream of curious customers and the brand new furniture, Mingyu believes he’s found the new dessert bar.

A large poster near the counter snatches his attention furthermore; mostly because it has the word “FREE” boldly plastered on the top. Mingyu walks in and squints his eyes to read it - he forgot to bring his glasses, as usual.

“Hey, are you alright?” a bright, peppy voice pipes up from the counter, looking at Mingyu expectantly. 

“What’s that promotion you have there?” Mingyu asks, pointing at the poster.

“It’s our Valentine’s Day promotion! Bring a date, kiss them on the cheek for 10% off,” she explains.

“What’s the free thing?” Mingyu questions.

“A peck on the lips for 30% off, or if you _kiss_ them, you’ll get a free dessert of your choice!” she emphasises _kiss_ , waving her hands in the air dramatically.

Mingyu groans. “Alright. Thanks.” He walks to the side, watching as the couple who was behind him full on _make out_ in front of the cashier, then proceed to choose the most expensive sundae on the menu.

Mingyu really wants some dessert. And by really, he _really_ wants some. He’s the type of person to drown himself in tubs of ice cream whenever he has something on his mind. He almost considers calling up an ex, seeing as he’d been intimate enough with them to kiss them one more time - it was _free food_ after all. But scrolling through his contacts, he realises that most have either blocked him or changed number, ruling that option for dessert out.

He checks his jacket pockets and realises with a sinking heart that in his rush to leave the apartment, he didn’t even bring his wallet. Now it wasn’t just a want for free food - it was a _necessity_ to get that discount. He looks around the café helplessly, but everyone is with someone else— Wait. There’s one guy standing outside, looking through the window curiously.

He’s quite tall, with good proportions, and he’s wearing a dark denim jacket coupled with ripped jeans. Mingyu doesn’t believe in double denim, but this guy pulls it off better than Mingyu wants to admit. He has gold-rimmed round glasses perched upon his nose, but he’s still squinting up at, presumably, the café menu through the window.

Mingyu feels like he’s seen him before. He looks through his contacts on his phone, and as he scrolls past a name, the recognition hits. _Jeon Wonwoo._

They’d met at some party hosted by Seokmin’s best friend, Soonyoung. It was a few months ago, but Mingyu remembers getting _very_ drunk, and this Wonwoo guy having to take care of him and drive him back to his apartment. 

Mingyu’s still embarrassed about it to this day. He’s sure he tried to kiss Wonwoo in his drunken stupor, but the boy was still kind enough to care for him nonetheless. Wonwoo had input his number in Mingyu’s phone, telling him to text him the next day when he woke up alive. 

In the end, Mingyu didn’t. He was too embarrassed.

But honestly, what else did Mingyu have to lose with this guy? He’s good looking for sure, and Mingyu can see that clearer in his sober state. But Mingyu being sober didn’t necessarily mean he wouldn’t do something impulsive and stupid. 

“Hey!” Mingyu calls, rushing outside, nearly colliding with a couple on their way inside. Wonwoo looks up questioningly, seemingly not recognising Mingyu.

“It’s Wonwoo, isn’t it?” Mingyu says, free dessert already on his mind. “Not sure if you remember me. I’m Mingyu.”

Wonwoo’s eyes light up. “Oh, yeah. I’m surprised you remember me.”

Mingyu rubs his neck sheepishly. “Uh, I’m sorry I didn’t text you. I… my phone was reset and I lost your contact,” he lies.

“Oh, that’s fine. I’m glad you’re okay now,” Wonwoo smiles slightly. “You waiting for anyone here?”

“O-oh, me? Nah. I just wanted some dessert,” Mingyu tries to sound nonchalant, but his voice cracks. “What about you?”

“Me? No way,” Wonwoo chuckles, his voice deep and chocolatey (but that was probably Mingyu’s hunger talking). “Same as you. I heard there was new dessert bar in town and came to check it out.”

“Great!” Mingyu exclaims, a bit too loudly. “Actually, I wanted to ask you a favour…”

Wonwoo raises his eyebrows questioningly, and Mingyu takes it as a sign to continue. “Dunno if you saw on the menu, but there’s a Valentine’s Day promotion.”

“These glasses aren’t the right prescription,” Wonwoo admits sheepishly, “I was meant to get them fixed, but I’ve been lazy. I can’t really read the menu. What’s the promotion?”

“Um, it’s a bit awkward,” Mingyu laughs nervously, “But like, it says if you kiss your partner at the counter you get any dessert for free.”

“Oh, really?” Wonwoo doesn’t seem all that shocked. “I mean, I’m down for free food.”

Mingyu expected a no, so he’s taken aback at how cool Wonwoo seems. “Y-you are?”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo says, “I mean, you tried kissing me _so_ many times when you were drunk. It won’t mean anything.”

Mingyu cringes. “I did?”

“You did,” Wonwoo smirks. “Anyway, wanna go get that dessert?” he says, pulling his hand out from his jacket pocket and holding it out to Mingyu.

“O-ok.”

+++

Mingyu really has no reason to be nervous. He’s made out with tonnes of strangers in the past, though admittedly, most were because he was intoxicated and didn’t make better decisions. While he wouldn’t exactly label himself as a _’fuccboi’_ as all his friends did, he isn’t exactly a saint either.

He takes Wonwoo’s hand and they reenter the establishment, gaining a curious look from the cashier. Wonwoo’s hand is cold, but soft - unlike Mingyu’s calloused palms, worn from cooking and heavy lifting for his part-time job as a cook. 

Wonwoo looks expectantly at Mingyu, seemingly wanting him to order for them. Mingyu clears his throat and tries not to stutter; “Hey, so the promotion…” he trails off as soon as he starts.

“Okay. Well, let’s see it,” the cashier replies, unfazed. She’s probably seen way more than she wanted to that day.

With the cashier looking at them expectantly, Mingyu turns to look at Wonwoo. He notices that the boy is slightly shorter than he is, only reminding him painfully of just how _tall_ he is. Wonwoo’s dark hair is slightly curly, and Mingyu wonders if he permed it or if it’s naturally—

Wonwoo doesn’t wait. With one hand on Mingyu’s arm and the other on the back of his neck, he pulls his face downwards and pushes his lips softly against his. It’s a quick peck and over before it starts, Wonwoo quickly retracting but not out of disgust.

“You’re gonna have to do more than that,” the cashier says, sounding slightly underwhelmed but almost… mischievous. Underneath that bored expression, Mingyu’s sure she’s enjoying it.

Mingyu is still stunned from Wonwoo’s boldness. Wonwoo exhales a puff of air, too small to be a sigh but too much to be a breath. He turns to look at Mingyu, looking expectant that he make the first move this time. 

Mingyu pushes aside all thoughts - focusing solely on ice cream - grabs Wonwoo’s shoulders (he’d go for the waist, but his hands faltered) and brings his lips down to his. He tries not to pull back out of embarrassment, instead deepening the kiss by leaning forward slightly. Wonwoo’s cooperative, gripping Mingyu’s forearm firmly and even going to slip in—

“Alright. Congratulations lovebirds, you’ve got yourself a free dessert,” the cashier interrupts, tapping the register and putting a table number in front of them. Wonwoo takes a second to pull back, his lips lingering slightly, almost _teasing_. Mingyu swears he sees Wonwoo smirk as he turns his attention to the cashier.

“So, what do you want, _babe_ ,” Wonwoo drawls with a playful tone. Mingyu has to stop himself from reacting too obviously.

He scans the menu and lands on the gourmet sundae section. “Uh, the Good to Me sundae looks… good.”

“Okay, we’ll go with that,” Wonwoo agrees happily. The cashier hands them their table number, and Mingyu follows Wonwoo over to a booth near the back of the café.

“What the hell,” Mingyu whispers harshly as they sit opposite from each other. “You enjoyed that way too much.”

Wonwoo’s tongue darts out as he licks his lips - probably hydrating them, but also probably to aggravate Mingyu. “Maybe. Didn’t you?”

Mingyu leans back and gazes at Wonwoo in awe. “You’re really something, aren’t you.”

Wonwoo leans back too, copying Mingyu’s position. “How so?”

“I-I mean,” Mingyu stutters - he _never_ stutters like this - and tries to find the right words to use, “Usually if a guy I met once months ago asked me to kiss him just for ice cream, I’d never.”

“Then why’d you ask if you didn’t think I’d do it?” Wonwoo raises an eyebrow.

“Uh, impulse?” Mingyu realises Wonwoo has a good point. “I don’t know. I was desperate.”

“For ice cream? Or for a kiss?” Wonwoo smirks.

“Shut up,” Mingyu swats at Wonwoo, the boy dodging swiftly. “Are you usually this cool with strangers?”

“Depends on my mood,” Wonwoo fiddles with his jacket buttons unconsciously, causing Mingyu’s eyes to drift down. Denim jackets always have the bulkiest buttons.

“I see.” Mingyu’s not really sure how to respond. He hasn’t felt like this in a while. Usually, he’d be the confident one, having to deal with the other person being at a loss for words.

Their buzzer sounds and Wonwoo gets up to retrieve their dessert from the counter. Mingyu watches as he carries it carefully back to the table, and the moment it’s set down, Mingyu hungrily digs in. At first, Wonwoo just watches him with a curious look on his face. Mingyu’s too hungry to notice, but after a few giant mouthfuls, he meets Wonwoo’s eyes. “What? Aren’t you going to eat?”

“You’re really cute when you’re eating,” Wonwoo says suddenly, not breaking eye contact. Mingyu’s taken aback, and he nearly dribbles ice cream down his shirt.

“Uh…”

Wonwoo chuckles, finally looks down and takes a generous helping of ice cream. “You act as if you’ve never been complimented before.”

“Of course I have!” Mingyu says indignantly, not used to the way his heart is thrumming loudly against his ribcage. Were hearts supposed to beat this quickly?

“Alright,” Wonwoo smiles. “Oh, and by the way, you should drink more water. Your lips are pretty dry.”

Mingyu’s hand flies up automatically to his lips, which are indeed quite chapped. He usually puts on lip balm - especially if he’s going to a party - but in his rush that morning, he probably forgot. 

“Wow, I’m so sorry you had to deal with that,” he says, somewhat sarcastically.

Wonwoo laughs. “It’s okay. I’m sure you moisturise when you’re actually prepared.”

Mingyu continues to eat in silence, though Wonwoo puts his spoon down after a few bites, indicating he’s had his fill. The ice cream comes to an end, and Mingyu leans back once again, sighing loudly and placing his hands over his stomach.

“Satisfied?” Wonwoo asks.

“You could say that.”

“Then I think I’ll take my leave,” Wonwoo uses the table to help himself stand up, holding a hand out for Mingyu.

Mingyu looks at him questioningly but takes it. Wonwoo pulls him up swiftly and drags him out the door, nodding politely at the cashier on the way out. He doesn’t let go of Mingyu’s hand, even once they’re outside. By now it’s mid-afternoon, and the sun is peeking out from the clouds, shrouding the two in much needed warmth. Wonwoo’s hair almost glitters in the bright light.

“Alright, that was fun,” Wonwoo says, letting go of Mingyu’s hand but still maintaining a close distance away. “Guess I’ll see you around, _honey_.”

“You can stop with the nicknames,” Mingyu laughs. 

Wonwoo exaggerates a pout. “Alright, Gyu.”

Mingyu feels himself choke a little. He’s been called things like _’babe’_ , _’sweetie’_ and _’honey’_ in past relationships, and they’ve never stirred anything within him. But the way Wonwoo says _’Gyu’_ …

Wonwoo turns to leave before Mingyu can say anything else, but stops and turns around slightly, putting fingers to his lips and blowing a teasing kiss in Mingyu’s direction.

“See ya.”

+++

“Mingyu, hurry the fuck up,” Minghao calls, annoyed, from the front door, which he’s holding half open to prevent it from locking.

“My hair looks like shit!” Mingyu yells back, mussing it furiously to try pull off a look that doesn’t scream _dead raccoon_. 

“I don’t care. If you’re not out this door in the next ten seconds, I’m leaving,” Minghao says firmly.

Mingyu stares at himself in the dirty bathroom mirror in disgust. He’s usually confident about how he looks, but today in particular, he looks… wrecked. His eyes look bloodshot, his eye bags are darker than his future, and his hair looks unwashed, tangled, sticking up in all the wrong places. There’s even a weird green stain on the bottom of his button-up shirt, which he isn’t sure is from what, but this shirt’s the cleanest one out of his pile of dirty laundry.

“Holy, you weren’t kidding. You really do look like shit,” Minghao chuckles, shutting the door as Mingyu steps out. Mingyu glares at him, but doesn’t comment. 

Minghao looks fresh in a cool blue jacket and ripped jeans which accentuate his model-like figure. In the two years Mingyu’s known him, he’s never seen Minghao look anything less than _perfect_. It almost unnerves Mingyu, who has the tendency to go grocery shopping in his pajamas (whereas Minghao would still insist on dressing like he’s attending a fashion show).

“Are Seokmin and Hansol already there?” Mingyu asks as they meet their taxi outside. 

“Yeah, Seokmin had to help Soonyoung set up all the speakers and stuff, and I think Hansol followed Seungkwan earlier,” Minghao replies, pausing to tell the driver where to go. “I can tell it’s going to be a wild one tonight.”

“When isn’t it wild when Soonyoung’s involved?”

It isn’t really a special occasion for a party this time, unlike the last one which was the _famous Christmas party of ’18_. Mingyu didn’t actually go to that one, but he heard… stories. The last Kwon Soonyoung party he attended was the one he met Wonwoo at - a Halloween one - at which he was probably too drunk to remember much, other than Wonwoo taking care of him, of course. But he _does_ remember half-assing a vampire outfit (he even vaguely remembers noticing Wonwoo as the only other vampire in the room).

Ever since Valentine’s Day, Mingyu hasn’t been able to get his mind off the raven-haired boy. Wonwoo doesn’t exactly give off playboy vibes, but the way he openly flirts makes Mingyu’s heart beat rampant, out of control. He’s been itching to see the boy again, but since he lied that he lost Wonwoo’s number, calling or texting him wasn’t really an option until fate decided to bring them together again.

“So,” Minghao interrupts Mingyu’s thoughts, “Any game plan for today?”

“Get wasted,” Mingyu says simply. 

“You feeling more like girls or guys today?” Minghao asks casually. Mingyu can feel the taxi driver eavesdropping, but Minghao’s always been blatant like this. 

For the longest time, Minghao and Seokmin (occasionally Hansol, too) have had the ongoing joke of betting whether Mingyu would choose a guy or a girl that particular night. It wasn’t how bisexuality really worked (more like if Mingyu was feeling the person at the time) but it was all done in good fun.

“Been feeling guys lately,” Mingyu replies, keeping his tone down. Honestly, not just guys in general… just one particular guy.

“Ooh, gay Mingyu’s making a comeback,” Minghao whistles, “It’s been a while, honestly. Seen too many chicks around you lately.”

Mingyu rolls his eyes and leans his head against the window. He doesn’t really feel like talking.

They finally reach their destination, Soonyoung’s shared house, and clamber to pay the taxi driver. Minghao claims Mingyu paid less than half, but Mingyu’s already on his way to the door, insisting Minghao owed him from a past dinner anyway.

“Yo,” their roommate, Hansol, spots them from the living room couch and waves lazily, his arm around his boyfriend(?) Seungkwan. The house is already quite packed despite it only being 8PM, Minghao and Mingyu only being able to see Hansol due to their towering heights. 

Somewhere between the front door and the kitchen, Mingyu loses sight of Minghao. He sighs, but figures that Junhui probably yanked him somewhere and they’re likely making out in someone’s bedroom. The two had been progressing quite well lately, judging by the number of nights Minghao spent out of their apartment.

“Gyuuuuu~” a voice suddenly coos; it’s Seokmin, looking incredibly intoxicated for what is likely only the beginning of a very long night. Mingyu thinks Seokmin should’ve known better than get full out wasted this early in the party, but he also knows that Seokmin has _zero_ self control. He probably had a drinking competition with Soonyoung again.

“Here’s my favourite roommate,” Seokmin slurs, leaning his weight heavily on Mingyu’s shoulder, trapping him in a tight hug. “Oh, but don’t… tell Minghao and Hansol I said that,” he hiccups.

Mingyu scrunches his nose at Seokmin’s foul, alcohol-soaked breath. He tries to push the boy away from him, but Seokmin holds fast, so Mingyu just gives up and trudges to the kitchen, intent on getting himself what ever Seokmin’s drugged up on.

“Hehe,” Seokmin giggles for no reason. “Shots! Shots! Shots!” he shouts in Mingyu’s ear.

“You’re so fucking loud,” Mingyu has to somewhat scream himself, since the bass of whatever EDM song Soonyoung’s playing is so loud he can feel his heart syncing up with the beats.

“What?” Seokmin yells. Mingyu decides he’s had enough, so he forcefully breaks himself from Seokmin’s grip, causing his roommate to fall straight to the floor. The people surrounding them turn and stare, but decide it’s a normal happening and return to whatever BDSM shit they were doing. Mingyu contemplates leaving Seokmin there to die, but decides against being a terrible friend and tries to get him up. Seokmin’s really heavy, but a sudden aid from the other side allows Mingyu to drag Seokmin over to the nearest couch. 

“Gosh, thanks,” Mingyu starts, looking up at his saviour, squinting through the dim lighting (featuring occasional flashes from the cheap strobe light Soonyoung bought off AliExpress). 

“It’s my pleasure,” a familiar deep voice says, mouth upturned in a classic smirk and dark eyes playful. It’s _Wonwoo_ , Mingyu realises approximately five seconds too late, so he’s now just spent an unnatural amount of time staring at the boy with a dumb expression on his face.

“O-oh! Wonwoo!” he finally stutters, completely ignoring Seokmin’s groans from behind him. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to… party?” Wonwoo says, raising an eyebrow. “What are _you_ doing here?”

Mingyu laughs nervously. “Oh, of course. Sorry. I was just surprised.”

“I mean, we _did_ meet at a party, you know,” Wonwoo points out.

“You got me there.” Mingyu tries so hard to regain his usual confidence with words, but something about Wonwoo’s curious gaze makes Mingyu’s tongue turn to mush. Incomprehensible mush.

“How do you know Soonyoung?” Wonwoo seems to notice Mingyu’s hesitance, and tries for a light, conversational tone.

“He’s my roommate’s best friend. What about you?”

“Oh, same!” Wonwoo smiles, and looks around a bit. “He’s actually behind you. My roommate, and… I think his boyfriend. I _hope_ so, because Jun’s had a bit of a history and I can never be sure anymore.”

Mingyu turns and sees… well, he sees Minghao’s mullet first. It’s a questionable hairstyle, and he’s definitely chased him around with scissors as a joke, but the boy did manage to pull it off somehow. He’s pressed against the wall with some other hunk of a guy, presumably Junhui.

“Jun’s your roommate?” Mingyu asks, surprised. “The guy he’s with is my crackhead of a best friend.”

Wonwoo raises an eyebrow - a habit which somewhat delights Mingyu. “No way? Small world.”

Mingyu nods, turning his attention back to Wonwoo. He finally has time to take in what he’s wearing, and it’s a hell lot better of an outfit than the trash Mingyu has on. He’s wearing a giant hoodie, probably black or some other dark colour, with small words along the chest which Mingyu can’t make out. His hair also seems a bit shorter, and he might’ve gotten an undercut since Mingyu last saw him - what Mingyu would _give_ to run his hands through Wonwoo’s hair. 

“Want a drink? I think I need one,” Mingyu asks, eyes already eyeing up the selection across the kitchen counter behind Wonwoo.

“Nah. I’m driving,” Wonwoo declines, but moves to snatch a bottle to pour one for Mingyu. “I’ll be your bartender, though.”

Mingyu laughs, accepting the glass from Wonwoo and knocking it back quickly. The liquid sears his throat; it’s been a while since he’s felt that warmth. “Do you ever drink?”

“Not a big fan. Dad was an alcoholic, so…”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Mingyu feels dumb and insensitive now. “Was? Is he better now?”

“Not sure. We left him ages ago, but it was for the best. I don’t miss him,” Wonwoo says simply. He takes the bottle in his hands once again to pour Mingyu another shot, pausing briefly to read the label.

“Hmm,” he continues, thoughtfully, “It’s also just fun to watch everyone make an idiot out of themselves while drunk.” Wonwoo hands Mingyu the glass, which he accepts. He feels weird drinking in front of Wonwoo though, since he’s usually gulping continuous ones in some impromptu drinking competition with his friends. Wonwoo simply watches on, pouring a new shot intermittently.

“Are you trying to get me drunk then?” Mingyu questions. 

“I think you’ll get drunk without me even trying,” Wonwoo laughs. Mingyu can’t really disagree.

It takes about five more shots (it could’ve been more, he’s not really counting) for Mingyu to finally put the glass down and pull Wonwoo’s hand boldly over to the massive crowd in the living room. It’s cramped, sticky and stuffy in the enclosed space, but with alcohol coursing through his system, Mingyu feels _alive_.

The dance floor is usually where Mingyu goes wild. He isn’t a great dancer per say, but especially when intoxicated, he’s up to all sorts of things he’d never pull off anywhere else. Wonwoo simply follows Mingyu obediently, weaving swiftly through the crowd until they’re both in the eye of the storm; the weird grey area in the centre everyone seems to avoid, perhaps in case of a sudden dance battle.

“You… wanna dance?” Mingyu says next to Wonwoo’s ear, trying to sound as flirty as possible. He probably doesn’t sound as sexy as he wants, but at least he tried.

Wonwoo doesn’t say anything, but he bites his lip as an answer. He’s undulating slightly to the beat, but his small movements somehow manage to be so sensual that it drives Mingyu crazy. If Wonwoo starts body-rolling, it’ll be _over_.

Wonwoo places a hand on Mingyu’s hips, ever so lightly, but the touch sends a jolt through Mingyu’s body. He wonders briefly if this is what it feels like to be electrocuted, but by the time his mind drifts back to reality, Wonwoo’s already two inches closer than he should be.

Even in his drunken state, Mingyu’s panicking. He’s never been at a loss for what to do - should he close the gap and kiss him? Should he just play along? Maybe Wonwoo was like this with everyone. 

“Are you drunk? Because I think you’re drunk,” Wonwoo whispers, husky and heavy. It sends shivers up Mingyu’s spine, and he briefly wonders why he enjoys being toyed with so much.

“Drunk on your love,” Mingyu blurts, giggling directly after. Wonwoo smiles playfully, bringing his forehead to touch Mingyu’s. Mingyu decides he can’t take it anymore, and starts to lean in—

But Wonwoo pulls his face back at the last second, returning to a comfortable distance away from Mingyu. He smirks, and runs a finger down Mingyu’s jawline. “I’m not going to take advantage of you while you’re this drunk, _Gyu_.”

Mingyu lets a whimper loose, indicating his disappointment. Usually when he’s in situations like this, his partner would be equally or more drunk than he is, making the whole process a lot easier without the threat of common sense looming over their _seven minutes in heaven_ , so to speak. 

Mingyu never has any concept of time when he’s drunk, but swaying to the beat with Wonwoo’s hands on his hips feels like an eternity of bliss. Bliss for sure, but Mingyu can feel something lingering in the back of his mind, hungry for more.

Sometime after, he feels Wonwoo’s soft hand slip in his, carefully leading him out of the sweaty clump of people. The fresh air in the next room hits hard, and Mingyu awakens slightly out of his drunken stupor. He finds himself sitting next to Wonwoo on an unfamiliar bed not more than a minute later, a cold glass - a big one, not the shot glasses Mingyu’s used to - being pushed into his hands firmly.

“Drink some water,” Wonwoo says softly, tapping the bottom of the glass. Mingyu obliges, gulping down the icy liquid. Wonwoo reaches up and brushes Mingyu’s hair out of his face gently. Mingyu leans into his touch, desperate for something _more_ , but Wonwoo retracts, placing his hand onto the bed near Mingyu’s thigh.

“If you think you’ve had enough, I’m more than happy to drive you home,” Wonwoo says, continuing to use that soft, gentle voice of his. It’s so soothing, and Mingyu can feel his eyes drooping.

“Noo,” Mingyu whines, flailing his legs. He glances at the digital clock next to them blearily, and complains, “It’s only like, 10:10.”

“Yeah, which means if we get you back by 11, you’ll have at least 8 hours of sleep!” Wonwoo says with a smile. 

“I don’t need sleep,” Mingyu mumbles, though his head is falling towards the bed as he speaks. “I want to party. With you.”

Wonwoo sighs, closes the gap between them and pulls Mingyu’s head to rest on his shoulder. Mingyu has to readjust into the crook of Wonwoo’s neck, but once there, made for a very comfortable position. “You look exhausted.”

“Maybe… another drink,” Mingyu slurs. 

Wonwoo starts rubbing circles in Mingyu’s back. “Of water, yeah,” he says, handing him the water glass again. 

“Okay.” Mingyu obediently takes it, downing the remainder in one go as he would a shot. Maybe he should take shots of water more often.

“Good,” Wonwoo pats Mingyu softly, but it isn’t condescending in any way. Mingyu tries to look up, but Wonwoo’s jaw is preventing him from glancing up any further.

“I think I’m on fire right now,” Mingyu mumbles, blubbering nonsense. “You’re so dazzling. Why are you so bright? The water isn’t… cooling me down.”

Wonwoo chuckles, his voice box vibrating against Mingyu’s hair, and it tickles. “Really?”

“Yeah. You’re so pretty,” Mingyu raises his finger up, as if stating a fact. “What’s your shoe size?”

“Excuse me?” Wonwoo questions. “Why all of a sudden?”

Mingyu tries to shrug, but nearly elbows Wonwoo’s side. “I want to know… _everything_ about you.”

“There’s not much to know,” Wonwoo smiles. “I’m Jeon Wonwoo. I don’t know my shoe size and I’m currently taking care of a _very_ intoxicated but _very_ attractive boy.”

“How do you not know your own shoe size?” Mingyu scoffs, glossing over the fact that Wonwoo just called him attractive. It seems to hit him a full ten seconds later though, because he gasps, “Wait. You think I’m attractive!”

“Yeah, I’m not blind,” Wonwoo says, rolling his eyes. “The fact that you have _three whole buttons_ undone right now is unnerving me.”

Mingyu glances down briefly and fiddles with the next button down. “Ooh, is this distracting?” he taunts, but slurs his words unattractively in the process.

“Very,” Wonwoo says lowly, almost a growl. He stops rubbing Mingyu’s back and leaves his hand resting on the bed.

“Oh.” Mingyu didn’t expect Wonwoo to react like that. If it were anyone else at this point, they’d be a lot less clothed and a lot more physical. But this is _Wonwoo_ , and even Mingyu knows that it isn’t something he’d easily get over the next day.

After a moment of silence, aside from the distant noises of the party, Mingyu lifts his head from Wonwoo’s shoulder and turns to face him in the dim light of the room. Wonwoo had only turned on one lamp which sat on the table adjacent to the bed, so due to their positioning, Mingyu’s body shrouds Wonwoo’s face in a dark shadow. 

“You know, I put on lots of lip balm today,” Mingyu states. He’d been thinking way too much over Wonwoo saying his lips were dry that day.

“Really?” Wonwoo says evenly, voice betraying no emotion. “That’s good.”

“Wanna feel?” Mingyu asks seriously, but he isn’t sure where this sudden confidence is coming from. It isn’t his usual flirty persona, and it almost feels childish to him, as if Wonwoo’s bringing out the playfulness left in him.

Wonwoo takes a second to react, but starts laughing loudly, a deep sound coming from the very core of his being, his eyes closing and nose scrunching up in the cutest way possible.

“What’s so funny?” Mingyu pouts. He really meant what he said.

Wonwoo stops laughing to gaze at Mingyu with what could only be described as adoration. “I’ll drive you home first, okay?”

“But it’s only 10—“

Wonwoo doesn’t wait for Mingyu to finish. He grabs Mingyu’s hand and pulls him out, not even bothering to off the lamp. They bound down the stairs, squeezing past intimate couples and drunks passed out in the worst possible places. As Wonwoo leads Mingyu to his car, Mingyu feels a strong surge of déjà vu.

A vague memory of being half dragged to the old black Sedan surfaces - the handsome dark-haired boy had carefully sat Mingyu down in the passenger seat, buckling him up before driving off slowly and carefully to the place Mingyu had mumbled earlier. Mingyu wasn’t even sure how Wonwoo made out his drunken rambling, but since he’d arrived home in one piece, he figured that Wonwoo managed to pull it off.

“It’s your car!” Mingyu states the obvious, but makes it sound like a groundbreaking revolution nevertheless.

Wonwoo laughs lightly. “Yeah. Get in, loser.”

There’s no music playing as Wonwoo rolls down both windows and pulls out of the curb; the wind’s too loud to allow any without it being obnoxiously deafening. Mingyu strongly believes that Seokmin’s somewhere back in the house, crushing Soonyoung’s ass in beer pong, which is why they’re also hearing a lot of yelling and cheering as they cruise away from the loud thrums of EDM beats. 

Mingyu tries his best not to nod off, but long car rides always get the best of him. He’s being shaken lightly some time later, opening his eyes blearily to find himself outside a familiar building.

“I hope this is the right building,” Wonwoo says. Now that they’re away from the chaotic loudness of the party, Mingyu’s head begins to pound and there’s a high-pitched squeal infecting his left ear. Wonwoo’s voice sounds so loud, but Mingyu’s sure he’s speaking at a normal, soft tone.

He looks out of the window and confirms that it is indeed the correct building, but he doesn’t even have time to admire Wonwoo’s amazing memory, because his face is being turned around and there’s now something really warm and soft on his lips.

Mingyu, being the absolute detective he is, discovers that it’s Wonwoo, and that the soft pressure he’s applying is doing absolutely _everything_ to Mingyu’s wellbeing. He’s suddenly awake, bringing his hand up to Wonwoo’s neck and pushing his lips against his insistently. Mingyu’s sure his breath _sucks_ , but Wonwoo’s is sweet, almost like ice cream—

“Your lips really _are_ soft,” Wonwoo whispers against Mingyu’s mouth, pulling back ever so slightly. He touches them one last time before leaning back completely, leaving Mingyu in a really awkward position, head hovering above the gearstick and lips half-open. 

“Alright. Let’s get you to bed,” Wonwoo continues nonchalantly, as if he’s saying a normal goodbye to a friend. He unbuckles Mingyu’s seatbelt and moves to undo his own, but Mingyu stops him.

“I-it’s fine. I’m not that drunk, I swear. I can go on my own,” Mingyu insists. As if to prove that, he opens the door and steps out, leaning back down to wave at Wonwoo through the window.

“Alright, captain,” Wonwoo smiles softly, a somewhat wistful look on his face. 

“Thanks for the ride,” Mingyu says. 

“It’s my pleasure,” Wonwoo licks his lips. What a fucking tease.

And once again, before Mingyu can say anything else, Wonwoo starts the car and zooms off into the night, leaving him standing by the sidewalk, speechless.

+++

“Do we wake him up?” a hushed whisper, probably Seokmin, but Mingyu can’t tell because 1. he’s tired as shit and 2. Seokmin’s almost always loud so hearing him whisper would be a huge shock.

“He arrived home before us, yet he’s still asleep…” another whisper, maybe Minghao. 

“Mingyu’s always up to cook breakfast, so this is weird,” a third whisper, sounding like Hansol.

Mingyu wants them to go away and stop whispering five feet away from him, so he groans, “I’m awake,” effectively hushing the three boys standing at his door looking at him with worried expressions. “Can you guys leave me alone, please? I don’t want to get up.”

“It’s like 3PM, Gyu, I think you’ve had enough shut-eye,” Seokmin says, voice betraying worry. “You never sleep this late.”

“Yeah, well, it was an eventful night,” Mingyu rolls over and buries his face in a pillow, muffling the last few words of the sentence. “I’ll be out for dinner or something, it’s not a big deal.”

Something hits him hard, and he sits up indignantly to find that Minghao’s thrown a whole ass _shoe_ at his head. “Bullshit. Something big happened, and you’re not telling us what it is.”

Mingyu sighs and pulls himself out of the covers, trudging to the bathroom without another word. He feels his roommates’ eyes follow his every move, but he decides he couldn’t care less. He does sometimes wish Minghao didn’t know him _this_ well, so that he could get away with his lies and not confront his problems.

“I saw you talking with Jun’s roommate,” Minghao comments, walking up to the bathroom door. Mingyu sticks his toothbrush in his mouth and doesn’t look up as he starts brushing.

“I’ve seen him before. Wonwoo, right?” It’s scary how much Minghao knows sometimes. “Is he the one who brought you home? I swear I didn’t see you for the whole night.”

“That’s because,” Mingyu pauses to spit out toothpaste, “You were latched onto Jun for the whole night.”

“Nevertheless, you know how observant I am,” Minghao points out. At this point, Seokmin and Hansol are mere spectators, eyes darting between the two and not uttering a word. 

“Yeah.” Mingyu wipes his mouth furiously, trying to exfoliate his lips with his towel. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I spent the night dancing and talking with him, he drove me home, and I crashed.”

“That’s all that happened?” Seokmin finally pipes up, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Y-yeah,” Mingyu says, not very convincingly. 

Minghao shakes his head. “Looks like our boy is w-h-i-p-p-e-d.”

Mingyu makes a throaty sound out of annoyance, but it probably came out like that because of a sore throat. “Whatever. Shoo,” he waves his hands, trying to push them out of his room. Seokmin and Hansol give him one last pitiful look and obediently back out of the room, but Minghao’s a lot more stubborn. 

“So. Wonwoo, huh?” Minghao remains standing in Mingyu’s doorway, arms crossed like an angry mother. “He’s definitely hot, and Jun’s said good things about him, so I guess I can approve.”

“Woah, what has Jun said about him?” Mingyu perks up, desperate for any more knowledge. 

“From what he’s mentioned, Wonwoo seems like someone who generally keeps to himself,” Minghao says, surprising Mingyu. “He’s not like shy or anything, but it seems like he doesn’t waste time with people he doesn’t care about.”

“I was about to say,” Mingyu chuckles quietly, “He’s quite far from shy.”

“So who’s top?” Minghao asks seriously, but the question is quite sudden and it takes Mingyu by surprise. Minghao notices this, so he continues, “Is he dominant or what?”

“O-oh my God,” Mingyu tries to rid himself of the thoughts pouring into his mind. “I’ve known him for like, ten seconds, so don’t ask me that kind of stuff!”

“Wow,” Minghao whistles in awe. “I’ve never seen you so flustered.” He turns and walks out of the room, and Mingyu hears loud voices in the living room not a second later.

“Seokmin, Hansol, I think Mingyu’s in love,” Minghao shouts, loud enough that the neighbours can probably hear him. 

“No way!” comes Seokmin’s enthusiastic response. There’s frantic footsteps thumping against the ground - the room below them is going to complain for sure - and Seokmin appears in Mingyu’s doorway again, smile wide and toothy. “Congratulations, Gyu!”

Mingyu looks at him in exasperation. “I am _not_. You don’t know anything, Hao,” he shouts into the living room.

Minghao reappears at the door and cocks his head. “I _know_ that Kim Mingyu is _never_ hung up or embarrassed when mentioning past hookups.”

“He has a point,” Hansol sticks his head in, having heard the commotion. 

Mingyu throws his hands up. “Okay, I’m in love. Are you happy now?” 

He storms out of the room and angrily pours himself some cereal. He flings the fridge open to find that there’s no more milk, so he sighs, grabs a jacket and his wallet and heads for the door.

“Gyu, wait,” Minghao says, grabbing Mingyu’s arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like a joke.”

“It’s fine,” Mingyu insists, trying to pull out of his grip.

“But… this is huge,” Minghao continues, grip not loosening, “You’ve always been going on about how you wanted to feel _happy_. You’re never this affected by anyone else, so it’s obvious that we’d be making a big deal out of this Wonwoo guy.”

Mingyu remains silent. He stops struggling and lets his arm fall to his side. “I guess,” he says quietly.

Seokmin comes up and pats Mingyu on the back. “We’re really happy for you, Gyu. We don’t want this to end badly.”

“Neither do I. But I don’t know what to do,” Mingyu whimpers. “Is this what love is?”

“I suppose so,” Minghao chuckles. “None of us are sure either.”

“But we do know that this guy’s special,” Seokmin adds. “Our confident Kim Mingyu’s reduced to a nervous wreck, and that’s pretty significant.”

Mingyu sighs. “Yeah. I think I’m gonna go for a walk.”

“Okay. We’ll see you for dinner?” Minghao asks hopefully. Mingyu smiles a little and nods. He’s thankful that his friends are there for him, even though they can be really annoying at times.

“I’ll come back to finish my cereal first,” Mingyu says, looking pointedly at the bowl of dry cereal sitting on the counter. 

“Oh, if you’re going shopping, can you get me some yoghurt too?” Hansol asks suddenly. “I’ll pay you back.”

Mingyu rolls his eyes. “I’m not your slave. But I guess I’ll do it this one time.”

+++

Weeks pass, and Mingyu still hasn’t had any good luck with running into Wonwoo. Wonwoo’s number sits dormant in Mingyu’s contact list, and he’s honestly contemplating concocting another lie just to have an excuse to call the boy up.

He’s sitting on a bench outside his workplace, a small café called Jam Jam. It’s his break time, but he doesn’t feel like spending it inside where his coworkers would try small talk with him while they eat lunch. None of them knew him well enough to gauge his personality, and he didn’t feel comfortable enough talking with them about his problems (with the exception of Jeonghan, probably, but he was always napping in Seungcheol’s office during break and Mingyu knew better than to disturb him).

He spends far too long staring at Wonwoo’s contact on his phone. It’s only a mobile number with no profile picture, but Mingyu finds his finger automatically hovering over the call button. 

His heart races like it never has before. He’s not someone who usually calls first - he’s normally the one accepting calls from random people he barely remembers meeting at various parties. His contact list is filled with ‘guy with brown hair at Jihoon’s’ or ‘girl wearing cute jumper at Jeonghan’s’, so maybe that’s why his connection with Wonwoo means so much to him.

Wonwoo may be flirty and confident around Mingyu, but he’s also incredibly gentle and caring. He never goes too far when touching Mingyu, he always respects boundaries, and he actually _listens_. He often makes the first move, but Mingyu’s sure it’s because Wonwoo _knows_ Mingyu’s fine with it. Wonwoo’s the first person Mingyu’s met at a party who actually wanted to get to know his personality, not just his body. Mingyu has never been opposed to hookups in the past, and it was always consensual - but since meeting Wonwoo, Mingyu feels as if everything he’s ever known is pointless. 

He doesn’t just crave Wonwoo’s touch; he craves everything about him. He wants to know what Wonwoo’s favourite food is, what he sounds like after waking up, what his childhood was like. Mingyu wants to spend every waking moment, sober or not, getting to know Jeon Wonwoo.

“Boo!” There’s sudden hands on Mingyu’s shoulders, causing him to jump and nearly scream. His hand desperately clamps onto his phone, which had nearly slipped and fallen to the ground. He whirls around and glares at the perpetrator - his coworker, Chan - and is preparing to yell at him when there’s sudden sound coming from his phone’s speaker, stopping him in his tracks.

“Hello?” The voice is muffled through the phone, but Mingyu’s eyes widen at the sound of it. In his rush to save his phone from dropping, he’d accidentally pressed the call button.

“Shit,” Mingyu whispers. Chan isn’t sure what’s going on, but he can see how stressed Mingyu looks, so he makes an apologetic face and backs away, slinking back into the café. 

“Hello? Anyone there?” Wonwoo says through the phone, and Mingyu’s heart leaps at the sound of it. He’s ready to hang up and pretend it never happened, but he figures that if he ever manages to get Wonwoo’s number again in the future, he’ll find out that Mingyu called him once upon a time and it’ll all be really embarrassing to explain.

“H-Hey, Wonwoo,” Mingyu brings the phone up to his ear, turning it off speaker. 

“Oh. Is that Mingyu?” Wonwoo asks patiently, not sounding too taken aback, which is a good sign.

“Yeah!” Mingyu replies, a nervous laugh slipping out, “Um, so, turns out… I found a back up of your number?” 

“You don’t sound too sure,” Wonwoo laughs, and Mingyu can feel his smirk through the phone.

“Well, I did, and I decided to call you,” Mingyu stutters indignantly, “So hello.”

“Hello,” Wonwoo says, his voice deepening slightly. “I’m glad you called me.”

“You are?” Mingyu says happily. “I mean, of _course_ you are. I could tell you were into me last time we met,” he blabbers. Mingyu doesn’t know why he forgets how to be smooth whenever Wonwoo’s concerned.

“Oh, really?” Wonwoo says evenly. He’s using that soft tone again, almost as if he was in a library and didn’t want to cause too much disturbance. His voice is deeper when he talks like that, and Mingyu thinks he could listen to him read the _phone book_ for ten hours straight. “Was I really that obvious?”

Mingyu chokes slightly, so he pulls his mouth away from the phone to cough. “I mean… I’m Kim Mingyu,” Mingyu tries for a playful tone, “Who wouldn’t fall for me?”

Wonwoo chuckles at that. “That’s fair.”

The line goes silent for a while, during which time Mingyu notices Chan poking his head out of the door, motioning for Mingyu to get back to work. Mingyu sighs, and says, “Hey, sorry, but I think I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Oh, where do you work?” Wonwoo asks curiously.

“It’s a café called Jam Jam. It’s nearby Adore U, if you ever want to stop by,” Mingyu says suggestively.

“Oh, I know it. I’ll come down now,” Wonwoo says, not skipping a beat. 

Mingyu takes a second to register this, but before Wonwoo can hang up, he blurts, “Wait, now? But I look like shit!”

Wonwoo hums softly. “I’ll see about that.” And with that, the phone line cuts, and Mingyu becomes aware that Chan is now running up to him in a slight panic.

“Hey, sorry about earlier, but Seungcheol’s going to be on your ass if you don’t—“

“Okay, thanks Chan,” Mingyu says in a dream-like state, standing and trudging back into the café. Chan runs in after and hurriedly takes a customer’s order, but Mingyu takes his time and heads to the bathroom.

The bathroom smells pretty bad, but Mingyu can only blame himself since it’s technically his turn to clean. The mirror is stained with water droplets, but it’s clear enough that Mingyu really _does_ look as terrible as he feels. He takes off his cap and tries to make his hair look good, but once the cap goes back on, he looks like an overgrown schoolboy again. He splashes his face with water furiously to try make himself look somewhat alive, and scrubs at his stained white uniform. It’s all in vain, because he’s convinced he still looks like trash.

He sighs and decides he should stop procrastinating on his job, because lately his manager, Seungcheol, has been grilling him to work better. As expected, the moment he steps back into the kitchen, Seungcheol says, “Oi, Mingyu. _Please_ , for the love of God, get your head out of the clouds.”

Seungcheol’s actually a very nice and caring person, but Mingyu can see the stress of running a business getting to him. Mingyu knows his poor work attitude doesn’t really help Seungcheol, but he finds it hard to put his heart where it’s not (since his heart’s been preoccupied with a certain fox-eyed boy lately). 

He tries his best to stay focused, but his mind keeps on drifting. He recalls the way Wonwoo’s fingers traced his jaw, the sharp glint of attraction in his dark eyes, the sweetness of his lips—

“One more chicken wrap, Mingyu!” Chan calls, evidently struggling to breathe during the lunch time rush. The poor boy only started working a week ago, and though he’s a diligent worker, he’s two years younger and definitely not experienced enough to be working busy shifts. Nevertheless, he’s become everyone’s new favourite coworker.

Mingyu looks up from chopping briefly to assess the flow of customers so he can figure out how to pace himself. At the door, there’s a couple looking to come in, the customer who just ordered is sitting himself at the last free table, and there’s a guy walking up to the counter now—

Mingyu nearly chops his finger off. He’d tried to freshen himself up just in case, but he didn’t _actually_ think Wonwoo would show up. Said boy is walking casually up to the counter, eyes already trained on Mingyu, who’s sure he should be hidden behind the front shelf displays.

“Hello!” Chan greets cheerfully. Wonwoo momentarily looks away from Mingyu to focus his attention on ordering. “What can I get you?”

“Surprise me,” Wonwoo says smoothly, holding a 20000 won note between his fingers. Chan isn’t sure what to do, so he falters and looks around for help. 

“I’ll take whatever he recommends,” Wonwoo continues, gesturing behind Chan at Mingyu. Chan’s eyes drift back to Mingyu, who currently embodies a deer caught in headlights. 

Mingyu hurriedly drops the knife, rips his gloves off and pushes through the door next to the counter, grabs Wonwoo’s hand and pulls him aside. “You actually came?” he whispers intensely, the smell of whatever cologne Wonwoo’s wearing already drifting into his nostrils. They’re standing close because the café’s really loud and Mingyu wouldn’t be able to hear otherwise, but this doesn’t exactly help Mingyu’s wellbeing much.

“Yeah, didn’t I say I would?” Wonwoo says innocently. 

Mingyu doesn’t know how to reply. “I… didn’t think you actually would.”

Wonwoo touches Mingyu’s arm lightly and cocks his head. “I’m a man of my word.” 

Wonwoo’s face is so close that Mingyu can count each individual eyelash. Neither of them are wearing glasses today, so without that glass barrier, Mingyu feels even more enraptured by Wonwoo’s eyes. They hold a playful glint and it seems like he’s wearing coloured contacts because they’re slightly grey, his skin is so smooth and it’s _glowing_ —

“Mingyu,” Seungcheol says from behind him, nearly making Mingyu jump, “Stop flirting and start cooking.”

Mingyu steps back and gives Wonwoo a sheepish smile, creeping back into the kitchen obediently. Wonwoo watches, amused, and returns to the counter to give Chan the money in his hand. Chan looks back at Mingyu helplessly, so he takes the money from Chan’s hands and tells him he’ll handle it.

Mingyu isn’t really sure what he should cook for Wonwoo. He decides just to go with his classic chicken wrap, but he adds more cheese because that’s how he personally likes it, and he’s sure Wonwoo will too. He asks Jeonghan, who’s arguably their best barista, to make a latte as well, and hands it to Wonwoo personally while Seungcheol’s not looking. 

“Sorry there aren’t any tables free,” Mingyu apologises, giving the food to Wonwoo. “I threw in some cookies too, but they might not be fresh, so…”

“That’s alright,” Wonwoo smiles, peeking into the bag. “I only intended to stop by for a while anyway.”

“Thanks for making the effort,” Mingyu says genuinely.

“Also,” Wonwoo leans in over the counter, “You look pretty hot in that apron.” He doesn’t wait for a reply, because he turns and walks to the door with a wave, leaving Mingyu dumbstruck. 

Mingyu blinks. Wonwoo stops at the door and flashes a wink at him, saying, “Compliments to the chef!” loudly over the noise of their surroundings, and exits. 

Mingyu stands at the counter for too long, and now Seungcheol’s next to him. He braces himself for a scolding, but Seungcheol merely nods understandingly and places a hand on his shoulder. “He’s a keeper.”

“Yeah,” Mingyu sighs.

+++

Mingyu knows that Minghao takes his fashion seriously, but he’s never realised just how much that _costs_. Minghao’s an international student from China, so Mingyu’s sure he gets sent money from his parents every now and then; but Mingyu’s also sure that Minghao’s parents don’t know that 99% of that money funds his affluent wardrobe.

“Do you spend _all_ your food money on clothes?” Mingyu cringes at the price tag of a particularly nice jacket, putting it back on the rack carefully. They’re at the mall, having finished their classes for the day, and Minghao’s helping Mingyu look for new, fresh clothes. 

“I know how to budget, thank you very much,” Minghao says indignantly, picking the jacket back up again and holding it up to Mingyu’s torso. “I think this will look great on you. Go try it on.”

“Yes, _mother_ ,” Mingyu rolls his eyes and laughs when Minghao flashes him an annoyed glance. He knows that Minghao always wants the best for him, though he can come across as slightly bossy sometimes.

There’s a party coming up (to be honest, when _isn’t_ one coming up on Mingyu’s calendar) this week and he’s preparing for it as he should a final exam. The reason why would be obvious to anyone who’s talked to him in the past week.

“Look, if you wanna impress Wonwoo at this party, you’re gonna have to step up your game. And that starts with your outfit,” Minghao says decisively as Mingyu throws on the jacket in front of a mirror. He really _does_ look good, and once again, Minghao’s keen sense for literally everything scares Mingyu.

“Don’t I look like a try hard? There’s no point in wearing such expensive shit when it’s just gonna be thrown to the floor once we’re in the mood,” Mingyu complains, gingerly taking it off and hanging it back.

Minghao sighs in exasperation, looking completely done. “If you wanna meet Wonwoo wearing the same stained, button-up shirt you wear everywhere, then be my guest.”

“Not all my shirts are stained, or button-up,” Mingyu mumbles, but it’s futile. Minghao’s already decided that Mingyu’s a hopeless case, so much so that he’s already walking out of the store without looking back.

Mingyu jogs up to his best friend, pulling him back by the shoulder. “Okay, sorry, it’s just that I don’t really wanna spend that kind of money on _one_ jacket,” Mingyu tries to reason with him.

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Minghao says calmly. “If you really want, I can let you borrow one of mine or something.”

Mingyu’s eyes light up. “No way! I’ve been wanting to try that blue and red one for ages—“

“Anything but that one,” Minghao interrupts bluntly. “Jun gave me that. No way you’re getting your grubby hands all over it.”

Mingyu pouts. “Fine.”

Just as Minghao had mentioned, the upcoming party would be the site of another possible Wonwoo encounter. It’ll be hosted by a friend of a friend, Jihoon, and though his parties aren’t wild like Soonyoung’s, they have their own kind of ambience. Like a trap filled with sweet honey, you’re lured in until suddenly you realise you’re three feet deep in quicksand - or, more literally, deep in… someone. It’s the perfect kind of party for release. Jihoon’s parties always bring out the beast in even the most timid, but the scariest thing is, you don’t realise what you’ve done until you wake up in a stranger’s bed the next morning.

Mingyu hasn’t seen Wonwoo since he came to visit Jam Jam. They hardly text, with Mingyu being too nervous and Wonwoo not being online very much. He only heard from Wonwoo once there was a party involved. 

_”Hey Mingyu, since you know Soonyoung, I’m assuming you know Jihoon too. You going to his party on Friday?”_ Wonwoo had texted one quiet morning (and by ‘morning’ - it was 3AM).

Mingyu took way too long to reply, because he was contemplating how many emojis and question marks he should use. He decided to play it safe; _“You bet. See you there?”_

 _”Yep. I’m looking forward to it ;)”_ had been Wonwoo’s reply. Mingyu hasn’t texted back since because he’s freaking out too much.

When they reach their apartment, Minghao heads straight for his wardrobe and whips out a white pullover. It doesn’t look like anything special, but once Mingyu tries it on, he realises it’s like the sweater equivalent of ripped jeans, with holes torn strategically around his collarbone, stomach and shoulders.

“It’s not outright sexy but it shows skin in all the right places,” Minghao nods thoughtfully, as if praising his own fashion sense. “Perfect for a party like Jihoon’s.”

Mingyu picks at the fabric exposing his tanned clavicles. “Well, if you say so.”

The taxi which picks them up that night is barely big enough to hold three growing young adults. Mingyu sits in the front seat, because as the driver worded it, he’s an “obstruction” to the back mirror. Hansol and Minghao sit at the back, the middle seat vacant between them - Seokmin was meant to ride with them, but he and Soonyoung went out pre-drinking earlier, so they’ll meet him there.

It’s fascinating to Mingyu how none of them get bored of this routine. Jihoon lives in the same house as Soonyoung, and it’s equally as amusing to him that the parties they host in the same house end up being so different. It’s a wonder how the two haven’t been evicted yet, but their house is located in a more isolated area, which is a good choice for containing the noise of the happenings within their walls.

Pulling up to the familiar house, Mingyu jumps out first after handing the driver his share of the payment. His hair’s arguably looking the best it has in over a year, since Minghao convinced him to get it styled just for the night. It may have cost the equivalent of his grocery budget for the week, but he agrees that the end result is well worth it.

The wind whistles loudly and slips its way stealthily through the exposed areas of Mingyu’s pullover. It makes him shiver and goosebumps prickle along his arms, but he savours its crisp freshness before spending the night in an enclosed space crammed against hot, sweaty bodies. 

Minghao also made him wear leather pants, insisting that they’re easier to get off than they look. The fabric is currently bunching up around Mingyu’s thighs and he feels as though they’ll rip apart at any moment, with every step causing the material to squeak and groan. They’re really uncomfortable, but he decides to trust Minghao’s words that they mould to your body after a few hours. 

For the first time, Mingyu doesn’t head straight to the kitchen when he steps through the door. He could care less about getting wasted at the moment, because his priority is nowhere to be seen among the people dancing at close proximity to each other in the packed room.

Minghao merges into the crowd within seconds of entering. Hansol separates from them and walks up the stairs with purpose; Mingyu assumes he already has a predetermined meeting spot to get to. 

It doesn’t take Mingyu long to realise that standing still in the middle of the dance floor is a bad idea. He’s obstructing the flow of the crowd, so he constantly finds his toes being trampled on and elbows flying into his face. He tries to weave out of the crowd, because he doesn’t really feel like dancing at the moment, but a hand on his shoulder stops him.

He whirls around, but it’s not who he’s looking for; it’s Junhui. Mingyu hasn’t talked much to the older boy without Minghao around, so he already feels awkward as he greets him politely. “Hey, Jun.”

Junhui smiles, playful lips stretching thin and head tilting a few degrees to the left in amusement. “Hey, Mingyu. You seen Minghao?”

Mingyu looks around briefly, feeling hot under Junhui’s intense gaze. “Haven’t seen him since we came through the door. Sorry.”

Junhui sighs. “That’s fine. I’ll find him eventually.” He pauses and seems to think, and before Mingyu can awkwardly leave, he says, “I saw Wonwoo go into Jihoon’s room earlier.”

“Oh,” is all Mingyu can say. He assumes that Wonwoo’s been telling Junhui about him, and he’s itching to know what kind of things they’ve said. “Thanks.”

Junhui smirks and pats Mingyu’s back before disappearing into the crowd. Now that Mingyu’s back to standing dumbly in the midst of grinding bodies, he slaps himself internally and forcefully pushes his way into the kitchen.

He nearly runs into a boy as he enters, and as he’s apologising and moving out of the way, he realises that it’s Seokmin’s boyfriend. Mingyu remembers meeting him for the first time when Seokmin brought him home one night - all soft, gentle eyes and a voice like honey. He’s quite the opposite of Seokmin, but somehow, they go together like bread and butter.

Seokmin’s at the counter, pouring a drink, but he’s clearly already out of it because the liquid is sloshing everywhere and the counter’s drenched. Mingyu briefly recalls that Seokmin’s boyfriend is named Jisoo; said boy now hurries past Mingyu, probably to grab a towel from the bathroom to clean up Seokmin’s mess.

“Yoooo, Gyu!” Seokmin hollers, waving his free hand in the air vigorously.

“I take it pre’s with Soonyoung went well,” Mingyu scoffs, taking the bottle forcefully from the boy to prevent him from spilling any more. 

“You bet.” Seokmin’s got a thousand-watt smile on his face, and he sighs happily, gulping down whatever made it into the glass. “Want some?” he asks, pushing the half empty cup into Mingyu’s hands.

Mingyu takes it from him, figuring that Seokmin doesn’t need to get any drunker than he already is. “Alright. Thanks, buddy.”

He finally manages to extract himself from Seokmin’s grabby hands when Jisoo returns, apologising to Mingyu and wiping up the alcohol on the counter hurriedly. It’s definitely a good idea considering how close the stove is, and Mingyu’s glad that Seokmin has someone to take care of his reckless ass. 

He exits into the dark hallway, multiple doors flanking the sides, some open and some locked tight. While a Kwon Soonyoung party has flashing lights and loud music galore, Lee Jihoon’s is much more muted. There’s a sensual beat drifting in from the speakers in the living room, the words sang softly but harshly, and it ignites a fire inside Mingyu. The lights are set on the lowest setting, allowing Mingyu to just barely make out the silhouettes of bodies pressed against each other in the corners of darkness, the music is distant enough to let desperate moans escape from the rooms with doors ajar. 

Mingyu knows exactly where Jihoon’s room is. It’s the biggest one, and though Jihoon’s expressed distaste at people using it in the past, he’s learnt that he can’t stop aroused teenagers. His bed’s the softest, there’s not much decor to knock over and it’s all the way at the back of the house, where hardly anyone’s sober enough to find.

He finds the door open by a mere inch, and suddenly his palms are sweating and he’s nervous. Wonwoo may not even be behind that door, but there’s some sort of vibe emanating from inside, and Mingyu can barely hold back his curiosity.

He touches his palm to the door slowly, but stops when he hears hushed voices. He can’t distinguish what they’re saying over the distant sounds of the party, but judging by the back and forth of the conversation, it’s likely to be an argument.

It sounds like a guy and a girl, so Mingyu hesitates at intruding at first. He can’t help but feel a sinking feeling though, so decides against leaving and simply stands there, trying to discern either of the voices.

The voices suddenly stop, and it goes quiet. Mingyu’s confused, so he decides against respecting privacy and pushes the door open, allowing the dim hallway lights to illuminate the dark bedroom.

As he heard earlier, there’s a guy and girl on the edge of the bed. The girl has her back to the door, but Mingyu sees her legs peeking out from her skirt, wrapped tightly around the torso of the guy. She’s got bright red hair, flowing down near her elbows, and upon hearing the door open, she whirls around and stares at Mingyu with an intense expression.

Mingyu’s about to apologise, but freezes, because sitting on the bed with his hair all mussed up and an indescribable expression on his face, is Wonwoo.

+++

“Give me that.” Mingyu’s _angry_ , so upon storming into the kitchen, he rips a bottle of what he thinks is vodka out of a surprised girl’s hands and drinks it straight. It hurts a _lot_ at first, but he begins to relax as the searing heat courses through his veins.

“Mingyu!” come Wonwoo’s desperate calls, footsteps approaching quickly from behind. Mingyu nearly wants to throw up because of what he just chugged, but he swallows out of rage and pushes past everyone blocking his way to the backyard. The cold air hits him hard and shocks his senses awake. He’s still got the bottle in his hand, so he takes another swig as he stumbles to the poolside.

Soonyoung and Jihoon’s house somehow has a pool, and it’s probably the reason their parties are so popular. Mingyu isn’t the biggest fan of it, since he’s scared he’ll drown while he’s unaware, but tonight, the coolness of the water against his fingertips is comforting. He feels lightheaded, but the full effects of the alcohol hasn’t hit him quite yet. As he squats by the pool, he takes notice of a familiar girl swimming towards him, throwing a flirtatious glance in his direction. Wonwoo’s hurrying towards Mingyu with an anguished expression creasing his handsome features, as he can see through his peripherals, but he decides against turning around to acknowledge him.

The girl comes to a stop in front of Mingyu, hair slicked back and floating around her in the water like a halo. She looks like she’s about to say something, but Mingyu doesn’t care, because he’s submerging his legs in the water, crashing his lips into hers impatiently. He can taste the chlorine from the pool on her lips, but in his state, he couldn’t care less.

He doesn’t think he’s doing it intentionally to spite Wonwoo, but he feels undoubtedly satisfied when Wonwoo stops in his tracks and just stares. The girl seems into it, and Mingyu feels like he’s probably slept with her at some point in time, because her lips are familiar. 

She pauses and pushes Mingyu’s legs aside, climbing out of the pool with ease. Mingyu knows Minghao’s going to _kill_ him for ruining the leather pants, but he just accepts that he’ll be spending a chunk of his savings to replace them anyway. The girl’s now climbing onto his lap, still dripping wet with pool water but warm against Mingyu’s stomach. He grabs at her hungrily; but it doesn’t take long for him to realise that she’s not satisfying him in any way.

She’s biting at his lower neck where the pullover allows, and usually Mingyu likes it rough, but this just isn’t _it_. He’s about to stop the girl from going further, but feels a hand grab onto his wrist.

The girl also senses this and pulls back instantly. There’s a moment in time where she merely stares at Mingyu and the perpetrator, but she doesn’t appear annoyed or fazed in the slightest. She simply gives Mingyu a sloppy smile and unhooks her legs from his abdomen, slipping back into the pool without a word. 

Mingyu realises that she’s the ‘girl wearing the cute jumper at Jeonghan’s’, as he’d lazily saved her contact in his phone. He hadn’t contacted her since that night, and probably wouldn’t again, since she obviously wasn’t doing anything for him anymore.

“Mingyu.” 

His attention is finally brought back to the tall, handsome boy crouching next to him with his hand wrapped firmly around Mingyu’s forearm. Of course, it’s Wonwoo, but Mingyu just stares at his own legs dumbly.

“Come with me. Please.” He whispers the last word, as if trying not to sound too harsh, but sounding incredibly sad, and it breaks Mingyu’s heart.

Tipsy Mingyu is still mad though. He rips his arm from Wonwoo’s grip and glares at his feet, which are still soaking wet from his impromptu make out session. Wonwoo sighs and runs his hand through his already messy hair, but it somehow looks even hotter that way. Mingyu catches himself staring, lifting his hands up to touch it himself out of impulse.

Wonwoo doesn’t move; he just gazes at Mingyu. He’s got that indescribable expression on his face again, a mixture of guilt, terror, and lust swirling in the dark whirlpools that are his pupils. His lips are pressed in a tight line, and it looks like he wants to say something, but is stopping himself.

Wonwoo’s hair is tangled, but softer than Mingyu imagined. He feels bitter when he thinks about the red-haired girl messing up Wonwoo’s perfect locks.

“Mingyu,” Wonwoo whispers, and it’s almost a whimper because he sounds so _upset_. Mingyu feels hot tears building up in his eyes, and he doesn’t know why he feels so emotional.

So what if Wonwoo had some other girlfriend he didn’t know about? He’d only met the boy like, three times, so it’s not like he’s entitled to him in any way. But Mingyu can’t help but feel his heart shatter at the thought of Wonwoo flirting with someone else.

Mingyu should’ve known better than think that Wonwoo was exclusively his. With a face and voice like that, and a personality anyone would fall for, there’s no doubt Wonwoo has had his fair share of lovers. 

There’s a guy stumbling around near the pool, and it catches Mingyu’s attention for a while. He recognises him as Soonyoung, because of his bleached blond hair and desperate calls for Jihoon, and is about to call out to him when Soonyoung leans too far and falls into the pool. Several people swim over to help him, and he’s fine, so Mingyu turns back and realises that Wonwoo’s got tears welling up in his eyes as well.

“I need to talk to you,” Wonwoo’s voice cracks, and he wipes his face furiously. Any semblance of his usual flirtatiousness is completely absent, and he looks so much younger and more vulnerable in this moment. Mingyu thinks it’s possibly because Wonwoo’s drunk, but he himself is starting to feel the effects of whatever he consumed earlier, so he can’t be sure of anything.

Mingyu’s hand comes to a halt near Wonwoo’s right ear. He has such _adorable_ ears, Mingyu thinks, and he _really_ wants to nibble at them—

“Gyu?” Wonwoo almost looks worried now since Mingyu’s not saying anything. 

Mingyu merely giggles in his gradual inebriated state, and says, “Your ears are _so_ red, Wonwoo.”

Wonwoo’s face softens and he takes Mingyu’s hand from his ear, intertwining their fingers together tightly. He doesn’t take his eyes from Mingyu’s face, and everything about his gaze is burning hot, a destructive fire that surpasses anything vodka has ever made him feel. 

Something begins to change in Wonwoo’s face the longer they stare at each other, particularly his eyes, and he no longer looks gentle, but sultry. His breaths become longer and heavier and the grip on Mingyu’s hands tightens, reminiscent of the blood pressure monitor he’s used at the doctor’s (but… on his palms instead of arms).

There are people causing a ruckus around them, throwing friends into the pool and vomiting in the bushes, and Mingyu wants everyone to be quiet so he can stare at Wonwoo in peace. Something in the back of his mind keeps saying, _”Why stare at Wonwoo when you could do so much more?”_ and it seems like Wonwoo shares the same braincell because he’s trying to get Mingyu up now, eyes wandering back inside the house suggestively.

Mingyu’s taller than Wonwoo so it takes more effort to pull him up, but he manages to stumble to his feet, trying to appear less drunk than he feels. He’s probably got a dumb smile on his face as Wonwoo leads him back towards what he assumes is Jihoon’s bedroom. Any anger and jealousy Mingyu felt previously has been eradicated by now. It may have been the vodka he chugged, or it might just be how much he thinks he loves Wonwoo. 

He staggers into the dark room after Wonwoo, closing the door behind him and shrouding them in darkness. He hears a click and Wonwoo’s turned on one lamp. Mingyu realises this is the bedroom Wonwoo took him to at the previous party where they met. 

He’s itching to touch Wonwoo again, but the boy just sits on the bed heavily and buries his head in his hands. Drunk Mingyu isn’t really good with words, so he just mumbles, “You right?”

Wonwoo doesn’t say anything, so Mingyu slowly sits down next to him, the bed groaning under their combined weight. He tries to push his urges aside and opts to put an arm around Wonwoo’s back comfortingly, leaning into him. 

“It’s not what you think,” Wonwoo finally says, words muffled by his sweater sleeves. He’s wearing this giant grey pullover which gives him a much more innocent appearance compared to the other clothes Mingyu’s seen him in.

“What?” Mingyu asks, his head swimming and his surroundings blurring. It’s already quite dim so he can barely see outside a metre’s radius, and he finds his sight zeroing in on Wonwoo and not caring about anything else. 

Wonwoo lifts his head and meets Mingyu’s eyes. His bangs have been swept carelessly to the side, and _fuck_ , he looks even hotter like that. His eyes are red but the sharpness of them invite Mingyu in, making him fall deeper and deeper. He can’t hide his overflowing lust anymore, and all he wants to do is make Wonwoo (and by extension, himself) feel better.

In the moment, Mingyu doesn’t care if he’s just some affair and Wonwoo’s in a serious relationship with that red-haired girl. He’s not questioning Wonwoo’s feelings just yet, because he just _wants_ him for the time being. Mingyu feels Wonwoo leaning closer unconsciously, the the space between them is so tantalising and tormenting, so Mingyu decides to just fuck it and give in to his desires.

He closes the distance in an instant, lips colliding with Wonwoo’s hungrily, and Mingyu unconsciously pushes him back against the soft bed, both his hands holding Wonwoo’s down. He swings his left leg over Wonwoo to steady himself, and now that he’s in a more comfortable position, he cranks up the speed and kisses him, hard. Wonwoo moans under Mingyu’s lips and it drives him insane, their heavy breaths mingling with the cool atmosphere of the room. 

His lips wander down Wonwoo’s sharp jaw and trails the soft flesh of his neck. His hands desperately roam underneath Wonwoo’s sweater, tracing the defines of his stomach with gentle pressure. Despite how thin Wonwoo looks, his stomach is firm, and Mingyu decides he can’t take it anymore and tentatively lifts up the hem, exposing his delicate, pale skin.

Wonwoo whimpers and swiftly pulls the sweater off, desperately grabbing at Mingyu’s to do the same - Mingyu has a fleeting thought that the strategically placed holes in his pullover were pointless if the whole thing was just going to be taken off anyway. Wonwoo pulls back for a second and roams his eyes across Mingyu’s tanned chest, fingers lightly tracing his skin as Mingyu looks down at him, chest rising and falling with his deep breaths. 

Drunk Mingyu is feeling as confident and brazen as ever, and he’s looking down at a whole ass _meal_ right now. He can’t hide how much he wants Wonwoo, and Wonwoo seems to realise this too, because he pulls Mingyu in by the waist and resumes kissing him roughly. These kisses are not teasing in the slightest, but they leave Mingyu wanting more and more. 

Mingyu notices faint redness along Wonwoo’s neck that he’s sure isn’t his doing, and he feels logical in assuming that it was the girl he was with earlier. This flares him up, so he sucks at Wonwoo’s neck tentatively, not wanting _any_ traces of her on his body. Wonwoo sighs in pleasure, so Mingyu takes that as a cue to suck harder, leaving darker marks where the initial red were. Wonwoo’s whispering something now, so Mingyu lessens the pressure and concentrates on his words.

“You…” Mingyu can only make out one word, because Wonwoo’s breaths are so loud and desperate that he can’t enunciate his thoughts clearly. Mingyu feels fumbling hands around his belt, and he releases his lips from Wonwoo’s body to help him undo it. 

“Your pants,” Wonwoo groans as Mingyu nibbles his ear softly, “They’re wet. You should change.”

“Later,” Mingyu says hoarsely. “I want you _now_.” He manages to slip his belt out, rolling back onto the bed to inch the leather off. Minghao was right, the pants are surprisingly easy to get off, and Mingyu tosses them carelessly onto the floor. Without the tight fabric restraining his thighs and his growing problem, he feels so much more free.

Since Mingyu’s on his back now, Wonwoo takes the chance to climb onto his lap, hands already working deftly at his own belt. He struggles a bit to manoeuvre out of his jeans, but once he does, they’re now in their underwear and it becomes obvious how aroused they are. Mingyu hesitates because he’s not sure how far Wonwoo’s comfortable to go - even in his drunken state, he’s still not willing to take advantage of Wonwoo in any way.

As if to qualm Mingyu’s hesitation, Wonwoo gazes down at him in adoration, one hand caressing his face tenderly and the other supporting his weight on the bed. “I thought you looked hot before, but tonight…”

His eyes are hungrily roaming Mingyu’s face, trailing right down to his groin area. Mingyu’s eyes follow Wonwoo’s line of sight, and he smirks, placing firm hands on Wonwoo’s hips and dragging him closer, tentatively at first, but when Wonwoo gives him a coquettish grin, he takes that as a sign to keep going.

“I dressed up just for you, _babe_ ,” he uses the nickname ironically since he’s sure Wonwoo won’t like it, but that small tease makes Wonwoo’s eyes light up with a renewed fire, and now he’s moving against Mingyu faster, mouth working delicately at Mingyu’s neck, mirroring the marks on his.

Wonwoo scoffs next to Mingyu’s ear, the puff of air feeling incredibly warm and moist. “Aren’t I a lucky guy?” he whispers, biting at Mingyu’s earlobe while he’s there. Their lips drift back to each other but it’s much softer now than before. What started as hunger has turned into something much more sensual, and Mingyu’s gently tracing circles beneath the waistband of Wonwoo’s underwear with his thumb.

Mingyu feels himself build up as the seconds pass, and he can tell by Wonwoo’s laboured breathing that he’s getting close too. The music from the living room becomes louder, and the singer’s erotic voice echoes through Mingyu’s head. Their underwear comes off at some point, but Mingyu’s barely in control of himself anymore. All he can feel is _Wonwoo_ , and all he can smell is Wonwoo’s alluring aroma. 

Mingyu was right to think that Wonwoo’s definitely had past lovers; he’s moving with great ease and boldness, and he knows _exactly_ what he’s doing. Mingyu’s suddenly under Wonwoo’s dominance, and he’s never felt so liberated before. They establish a comfortable rhythm, but just as Mingyu’s getting used to it, Wonwoo changes it up and thrusts at a different beat. Mingyu’s close to seeing stars, and an involuntary gasp escapes his lips. Wonwoo smirks in satisfaction at his reaction and bites at Mingyu’s bottom lip softly.

It’s all too much. Mingyu was so close to tears earlier, but now he’s getting what he wanted _and more_ ; it’s incredibly unfair. Wonwoo is a more dangerous addiction than alcohol or drugs, and Mingyu’s wholly hooked. He finishes before Wonwoo does, and it’s the best feeling he’s ever had in his life, but he’s about to cry as soon as it’s over.

He thinks that he shouldn’t have given in to Wonwoo. He’s allowed himself a taste of the Garden of Eden, and now he’s sure he’ll never settle for anything less. Wonwoo’s done just a minute after, and he sighs in Mingyu’s ear before rolling off and collapsing onto the pillow. 

Mingyu doesn’t look at Wonwoo for a long time. He’s eventually forced to because Wonwoo tilts his head to face him with a finger on his jaw, kissing him gently. He’s smiling serenely, but it’s not enough to stop the forthcoming tears. Wonwoo seems at a loss once tears start streaming down Mingyu’s face, so he just hugs him tightly, stroking his head gently. It’s slightly comforting, but it doesn’t quell the throbbing of his heart.

Mingyu doesn’t realise he’s drifted off until he comes to a while later. Wonwoo’s sitting next to him cross-legged, his phone currently occupying his full attention. The bright screen illuminates his face and the ceiling above him, and he’s got a strained frown on his face, but when he notices that Mingyu’s awake, it softens into a smile.

“Hey, um… you looked really tired earlier so I didn’t want to disturb you, but I’d be happy to drive you home when you’re ready,” he says softly, reaching out to stroke Mingyu’s hair.

“Didn’t you drink earlier?” Mingyu questions, his head starting to pound as he turns to look at Wonwoo. His voice comes out rather hoarse, and he has to cough to loosen his throat.

“Yeah,” Wonwoo replies, seemingly guilty, “But it’s been a while. I’m fine now.”

“Okay,” Mingyu says quietly, “I’ll appreciate it then.”

“Cool,” Wonwoo nods and resumes typing on his phone. “I just have to go take care of something. I’ll be back.”

Mingyu’s suspicious, but he’s also too tired to question it, so he just nods understandingly and rolls over to face away from Wonwoo. There’s a soft click as the door closes behind him, followed by loud yelling just outside.

With Wonwoo gone from the room, Mingyu’s senses awaken and the full weight of what he just did hits all at once. He blames his libido, he blames the alcohol, he blames Wonwoo’s stupid fragrance; he blames everything but himself. 

He’s confused about his feelings, about Wonwoo’s. The alcohol’s worn off by now, and he finds himself sadder than he’s ever been. 

Wonwoo didn’t come back that night. Instead, Mingyu awakens in the morning to Jihoon and Soonyoung staring down at him, curled up in their guest bedroom with dried tears staining his face.

+++

_Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt._ Mingyu knows he really should turn his phone off, but he can’t bring himself to as he absent-mindedly watches the missed calls accumulate on his lock screen.

“Mingyu,” his professor calls, but Mingyu simply looks in his direction with a blank look on his face. It’s honestly surprising enough that he showed up for this tutorial, though it didn’t mean he’d actually pay attention.

“So would you like to tell the class how to plot a complex number on a plane?” his professor continues, clearly adamant on calling out his lack of focus.

“Not really,” Mingyu simply murmurs. He earns a few sniggers from his classmates, but his professor’s scowl deepens as the seconds pass. He seems to give up on Mingyu and resumes his droning explanation, scrawling messy notes onto the whiteboard that literally no one can read.

 _Bzzzt._ It’s not a missed call this time - it’s a text from Wonwoo. Minghao’s been frustrated that Mingyu refuses to block the number, but even if Minghao forcefully tries, he’s got Wonwoo’s number seared in his mind.

_Mingyu, please pick up._

Mingyu just stares blankly. He doesn’t move a muscle until he notices his classmates start to leave as the tutorial ends. He trails out after them, purposefully looking down to avoid eye contact from his professor, who’s probably more worried now than angry.

Wonwoo’s persistent, is what Mingyu has learnt in the past two weeks. He calls no less than twenty times every day and texts even more, so much so that the notifications drown out other important ones. It’s caused him to miss several meetings and assessment tasks, but he’s not really in a state to care about his studies anyway.

There was even one day where Wonwoo showed up to their apartment while Mingyu was getting takeout. Mingyu was so stubbornly intent on not meeting the boy that he stayed out for hours in the cold, eating the takeout meant for his roommates until Minghao said the coast was clear.

Mingyu is in no mood to hear any explanation from Wonwoo. But underneath what seems like seething anger and jealousy, is probable pining and sadness.

Soonyoung and Jihoon had seemed quite worried at Mingyu’s state the morning they found him, but they were tactful enough not to ask. Soonyoung had helped Mingyu freshen up and change, before driving him home in his old, beat-up car.

“I don’t know what happened, but…” Soonyoung had begun tentatively, not looking at Mingyu to focus on crossing the upcoming intersection, “If you ever need a friend, I’m all ears.”

“Thanks, Soonyoung,” was all Mingyu could mumble at the time. He wasn’t so much as hungover as he was just depressed. He’d been in that state ever since, a sort of amalgamation of lethargy and idleness.

He remembers this conversation as he’s walking out of campus, spotting a familiar blond head in his peripheral vision. None of his roommates have been able to get more than a sentence out of him thus far, but Soonyoung doesn’t know him as well. After that morning, Mingyu’s felt a new connection form with the bright-eyed boy, a connection that previously only consisted of them liking the same beer and having somewhat the same taste in girls.

Soonyoung notices Mingyu walking to him, and before Mingyu can say anything, Soonyoung cheerfully greets, “Hey, Mingyu~!” He bounds up to Mingyu with a warm smile on his face, looking as though he wants to link arms and skip through flower fields while singing songs about friendship. He’s a really energetic and likeable person; quite literally, the life of a party; and he’s exactly what Mingyu needs right now.

“Hey, Soonyoung,” Mingyu says weakly, pulling his lips up just enough so it could pass as a smile.

“How’s everything?” Soonyoung asks slowly, leaving room for Mingyu to deny any desire to speak of his woes. But Mingyu decides it’s time he talk about so maybe he could get out of this weird funk he’s been in for too long.

“Actually, if you have time, I’d like to just talk…” Mingyu trails off dumbly, not wanting to sound needy.

“Of course!” Soonyoung says, bounding off to the nearby café and claiming a table that was far too big for two people. He enthusiastically beckons Mingyu to join him.

“Oh, should we order something?” Mingyu feels awkward because the staff are staring at them apprehensively. Soonyoung doesn’t seem to care though, because he’s already making himself comfortable on the seat, splaying his legs out and taking up the entire space.

“Don’t be stupid, they can’t kick us out,” Soonyoung dismisses him with a laugh. “Anyway, sit down! Today I’ll be Mr. Kwon, your personal therapist!”

Mingyu scoffs and rolls his eyes, but takes a seat nonetheless. He doesn’t really know where to begin, so he simply starts with, “So, do you know Jeon Wonwoo?”

“Of course,” Soonyoung says, his demeanour becoming more serious. He doesn’t seem as energetic and bubbly as usual, so it takes Mingyu by surprise, because he’s only ever seen the boy yelling ferociously and doing keg stands every other week. “We were pretty close a few years ago, but I haven’t properly seen him in ages. He shows up for a few parties but I don’t see him elsewhere.”

“What’s he like?”

“I mean…” Soonyoung seems hesitant, “He never really seemed like the party kind to me. I met him in the _library_ of all places—“

“ _You_ were in a library?” Mingyu asks incredulously.

“I know!” Soonyoung jokes, “But for real, he’s a chill guy. Once you get to know him, you’ll realise how playful and funny he is. Contrary to how cool he looks.”

“What about past relationships?” Mingyu somewhat fears the answer, but he knows he can’t go walking in the dark forever. Wonwoo is flirty, he’s enrapturing; but he’s also a complete enigma. Mingyu is aware of the influence Wonwoo has over him, and if it was all just for a quick sexual favour… He isn’t sure what he’ll do.

Briefly, he wonders if he’s doing the same thing. He’s never really stopped to think whether the people he’s been with had genuine feelings - but he also doubts this, because he knows how trashy and flaky he can be, and he’s accepted that no one would ever care for him intimately.

Mingyu doesn’t believe in true love. At least, he _didn’t_.

“I’ve only ever seen him with girls,” Soonyoung says soberly.

Somewhere deep down, Mingyu’s wondered about the whole sexuality thing. He’s always been open, so if he had to label himself, he’d be bi. All of his friends and many he’s met at parties have been similar, but there were of course going to be straight-as-a-pole kind of people too.

Maybe he was a mistake for Wonwoo. Maybe Wonwoo felt bad for using Mingyu for experimentation, which is why he was desperately contacting him for closure. Mingyu doesn’t believe Wonwoo had ill intentions, but whatever was done has affected him, and that wouldn’t change.

“Did you hear about what happened last Christmas?” Soonyoung continues.

“The Christmas party of ’18?” Mingyu questions, “I heard shit went down. But that isn’t rare for your parties so I didn’t push.”

Soonyoung chuckles. “Yeah, things can get crazy. But anyway, Wonwoo was at this party. He’d been with this girl… I can’t remember her name. It was like… So—” He looks like he’s searching the deepest recesses of his brain for an answer, but comes up with nothing, so he just brushes over it. “Anyway, they’d been together for maybe a few months? Wonwoo’s not someone to commit to a long term thing, so it was quite a big thing within the groups of people who knew him.”

“Oh,” is all Mingyu can say. He thinks it’s that red-haired girl he saw the other night.

“They had this big fight at the Christmas party. Like, so big that Jihoon actually turned the music off so we could hear.”

“Wow,” Mingyu breathes. “Seriously? What was it about?”

“Admittedly, I’d drunk a lot by then so it’s hazy,” Soonyoung smiles sheepishly, “But she was yelling that he cheated on her and that he’s a ‘gay whore’.”

Mingyu winces, and Soonyoung puts his hands up. “Her words, not mine,” he clarifies. “Wonwoo grew up quite conservatively, so I don’t think he’s even had the thought that being with a guy could be cool too.”

“Why was he with a girl at the last party though?” Mingyu asks.

“He was?” Soonyoung asks, surprised. “Is that why you looked so fucked over?”

Mingyu frowns and Soonyoung gives him an apologetic look. “Sorry, just speaking from observation.”

“Yeah, I walked in on him and some girl with red hair. I got pretty upset and I drunk a lot, then…”

“Then you fucked him.”

“Was it that obvious?” Mingyu laughs mirthlessly. “More like, he fucked me _over_. He’s wrecked me and I don’t know what to do.”

“It’s different this time, huh?” Soonyoung asks softly.

“I guess, but that makes it sound so cliché,” Mingyu sighs. “I thought Wonwoo was different. I thought what I felt for him was different, but maybe in the end all I know how to do is have disconnected sex.”

“That’s not true,” Soonyoung says firmly. “That’s what I thought too, until I met Jihoon.”

“Oh of course, don’t let me forget about your undying love for him,” Mingyu says sarcastically, but smiles fondly, “Not everyone’s love life is a success story like yours.”

“But it _can_ be,” Soonyoung points out. “And I know just how to help!”

He takes his phone out of his pocket and thrusts the screen in front of Mingyu. It’s on the voice recording app.

Mingyu lunges forward, but it’s too late because Soonyoung recoils with superhuman speed. He presses the “Stop recording” button and types furiously. 

_To: Jeon Wonwoo  
i told u mingyus in love with u ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_

+++

Jihoon always describes Soonyoung as unnecessarily meddlesome, and Mingyu’s beginning to feel that about now. He’s still seething because not only had Soonyoung unknowingly record his broken ass voice, he’d went as far as to _send_ it to the boy Mingyu’s been purposefully ignoring. He isn’t sure exactly what this will accomplish, but he feels his phone vibrate uncontrollably in the minute that follows. Soonyoung doesn’t look apologetic in the slightest.

“I know, I know you hate me for that,” Soonyoung grins, “But you’ve gotta know how whipped Wonwoo is for you.”

“What?” Mingyu asks, half angry but half intrigued.

“Do you remember anything about the day you two met?” Soonyoung continues, not looking at Mingyu because he’s scrolling furiously through his camera roll, seemingly searching for some evidence to back up what he’s about to say. 

“Um, it’s really cloudy,” Mingyu admits, “I remember I thought he was really hot, then he dragged me out to his car and drove me home. And I woke up in my bed, safe and sound.”

“Then you’ve forgotten all the best bits,” Soonyoung says nonchalantly, consistently tapping at his phone. “I’m gonna send you some videos I have. You should watch them when you get home.”

“Can’t I watch them here?” Mingyu asks, dripping with curiosity. His phone vibrates several more times, and above Wonwoo’s continuous missed calls, he sees that Soonyoung sent him several videos.

“Nah, I’ve gotta go,” Soonyoung says, swinging his legs out from under the table and bouncing up. “This has been _great_ , but now that I’ve accomplished my mission, I need to go meet Jihoon for lunch.”

Mingyu chuckles. “Alright, lover boy. I still fucking hate you.”

“You’ll thank me one day,” Soonyoung winks, waving over his shoulder as he hurries off.

Mingyu sighs, shoves his hands in his pockets and strolls home. His other roommates aren’t around, so he relaxedly kicks his shoes off and flops onto the couch. His hand hovers over his phone’s on button, and he stares at it for so long that when it begins to vibrate with call number #171717 from Wonwoo, he’s so startled he drops it on his face.

“Fuck,” he curses, rubbing the spot on his forehead the phone hit. He’s lucky that in his fumble to catch the phone, he doesn’t press the answer button like last time. The call rings out and joins its friends in the missed call log, and Mingyu reluctantly unlocks his phone to clear them.

He finds himself unconsciously clicking into the message app and opening the first video Soonyoung sent. It’s really dark, the only light being a purple-tinted lamp half obscured by other people. It illuminates the boy in the video with an eery glow, highlighting the dips in his face and reflecting off the slope of his glabella. It’s obviously Wonwoo, and he looks as radiant as Mingyu remembers.

 _“What are you doing?”_ Wonwoo chuckles. _”Why are you filming, Soon-ah?”_

 _”You’re fucking blushing, Jeon Wonwoo,”_ Mingyu hears Soonyoung gloat, _”This is going in the record books.”_

 _”What’s your point? Maybe I drank too much,”_ Wonwoo says indignantly.

 _”Bullshit,”_ Soonyoung slurs, and the camera shakes violently, _”You always drive so you never drink. You’re such a good boy.”_ A hand reaches out from behind the camera and sloppily pats Wonwoo on the head. His hair gets messed up as a result, but he fixes the damage with a few effortless movements.

 _”Hehe yeah, good boy,”_ Mingyu hears his own voice now, but it’s barely recognisable above the heavy bass and general shouting coming from all directions. _”Isn’t he the best, Soonyoung?”_ Soonyoung giggles behind the camera.

Barely behind Wonwoo, Mingyu makes out his own body slumped against the older boy’s back, head lolling groggily near his shoulder. He’s half standing and half relying on Wonwoo for support, but Wonwoo doesn’t seem to mind. He almost looks… fond.

The video ends, so Mingyu clicks another. They seem to have sent out of order, because in the next one, he’s drunkenly introducing himself to Wonwoo (or, he may have just been _that_ out of it).

 _”I’m Mingyu, but you can call me… Mingyu,”_ he hears his stupid laugh, slightly hoarse from all the yelling. They’re sitting on the floor of what looks like the living room, and Wonwoo’s looking at Mingyu as if he’s reciting the most important speech of his life. He’s attentive, and he smiles every time Mingyu hiccups.

 _”I’m Wonwoo, but you can call me Wonwoo,”_ Wonwoo says gently, helping Mingyu sit up straight against the wall. 

Mingyu in the video giggles. _”Woo! Won…woo. Wonwoo.”_ He seems rather enamoured with the mere name, repeating it over and over, enunciating different parts of the word each time as if testing how the name felt in his mouth. _”I like Wonwoo.”_

Both Soonyoung (holding the camera) and Wonwoo laugh at that. Mingyu beams blissfully up at the camera and deadpans, _”I love Wonwoo.”_

Most of the videos end up being like this; Mingyu being a dumbass drunk and Wonwoo watching on in adoration. He manages to make it through all the videos without screaming, and now there’s only one left. It’s a mere 17 seconds long.

 _”Yooo~!”_ Soonyoung’s voice loudly belts in the first millisecond of the video, _”Jeon Wonwoo just said he’s in loooove!”_

 _”Shut the fuck up.”_ Wonwoo’s smiling, almost shyly. 

_”Admit it!”_ Soonyoung zooms the camera into Wonwoo’s face. Wonwoo simply flips him the bird and turns away.

But in the last second, he turns back to the camera. He says something, but the surroundings are too loud so his voice is drowned out.

Mingyu isn’t a lip reader by all means, but he’s sure Wonwoo said, _”Maybe Mingyu’s the one.”_

+++

Wonwoo picks up the phone the instant the call goes through. Mingyu’s startled by the sudden onslaught of Wonwoo’s deep voice, so he stutters as he says hello.

“Mingyu, thank fuck you picked up, I was so worried—“

“You were?” Mingyu’s voice cracks, and he’s honestly about to tear up from the mere sound of Wonwoo.

“Look, I know you hate me for leaving you that night, but I had some shit to take care of and before I knew it—“

“I just want to ask one thing,” Mingyu cuts to the point. “I don’t want to be led on. Are you still committed to someone else?”

There’s a heavy breath on the line. “No,” he says firmly. “I’d been in a bad relationship for months… but I then met you. That Halloween party was everything for me. I’d spent so long in the dark, not knowing who I was or what I was meant to be, but your stupid drunk ass made me realise that I could be _happy_.”

Mingyu doesn’t say anything, so Wonwoo continues. 

“That girl is irrelevant to me. I was only with her because my parents were beginning to pressure me to settle down and I didn’t know what else I could do. I’d never been happy with anyone I’d been with, so I was beginning to think I’d never meet someone I genuinely liked.”

“Then why did I catch you two…” Mingyu feels a sudden burst of upset.

The line is silent for a while. Wonwoo seems to be thinking of how to express his thoughts. “She… well basically, after I met you, she somehow heard rumours that we’d slept together.”

“We—“

“We didn’t!” Wonwoo hurriedly denies, “Not that night. You just kissed me like once, but that was it.”

“I actually did?” Mingyu mentally slaps himself.

“Well, I might’ve allowed it,” Wonwoo hums, “But that’s beside the point. She called me out at the Christmas party last year, shouting all sorts of slurs and saying she’d suspected it since she caught me watching gay porn.”

“What the—“

“It’s a weird story,” Wonwoo brushes over it, “Basically, it was a hell messy break up but I didn’t regret it one bit. That night you, uh…”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo says awkwardly, “She bumped into me at that party, and I walked away but she looked so depressed. She insisted I talk with her, so I obliged, but I think she was too drunk and she climbed onto me. It was honestly just terrible timing.”

“I _swear_ you were into it, grabbing onto her waist all—“

“I was trying to push her off!” Wonwoo insists, sounding incredibly frustrated, “It’s not like _you_ didn’t make out with a girl directly after!”

“I was angry!” now it’s Mingyu’s turn to defend himself, but in reality, they were both in the wrong and just idiots about the whole thing.

Wonwoo laughs quietly. “I think it’s all just a misunderstanding. I’ve been chasing this emotion for so long that once I began to feel even a bit of it, I panicked and did everything wrong.”

“I know _all_ about panicking,” Mingyu agrees. “No one’s ever made me as chaotic as you have, Jeon Wonwoo.”

“The feeling’s mutual. My flirtatiousness is a mere reflex to disguise how much of a fucking wreck I am. I actually was tearing myself apart thinking I’d never see you again after the day we met since you never texted me back, but… here we are.”

"Here we are," Mingyu echoes.

The line goes quiet again. Mingyu’s hesitant to voice his thoughts, and his heart’s thumping so loudly he can barely hear himself think, but he eventually says, “So, is this thing a relationship or what? Stop holding your feelings back, it’s driving me insane.”

“Hang on,” is all Wonwoo says, before the phone line cuts. Mingyu’s left stunned, and his phone eventually starts slipping because of how much his hand is sweating.

He sits still for what feels like an eternity, not wanting to move until he hears a reply from Wonwoo. There’s a knock at the door, and Mingyu has half a mind to yell at them to open the door themselves as he’s assuming they’re his roommates, but then he remembers them all saying they’d be out late that day.

Mingyu doesn’t do anything, so the knock repeats, slightly louder this time. He slowly rises from the couch and pads over to the door, unlocking it an inch to peek through.

It’s the devil himself, hair is swept over to the side and small studs in his ears. His shirt’s not fully buttoned up and his sleeves are rolled to the elbows, revealing firm and veiny forearms. He’s an angel in every sense of the word, and Mingyu feels his heart race like it never has before.

“Can I see your face properly?” Wonwoo asks smoothly, stepping closer to the door so he’s nearly nose-to-nose with Mingyu, who’s peeking through the small gap he created. 

“Y-yeah,” Mingyu flings the door wide and just stares at the boy. He’s torn between wanting to hug him gently or, alternatively, roughly slamming him into the hallway, kissing him senseless. He resorts to a nervous gulp, staring at Wonwoo and taking in every detail of his face.

“I just wanted to answer your question in person,” Wonwoo says. He doesn’t miss a beat, as he smiles and says, “Yes. I really fucking _adore_ you - I have since I met you - and if you wanna call this thing a relationship, I’d be more than happy to oblige."

Mingyu’s mouth hangs open a little. “Uh, cool!” he replies lamely, “Just a heads up though, I don’t really know how all this first date stuff is supposed to work…”

“How about dessert?” Wonwoo suggests, stepping closer and fiddling with the collar of Mingyu’s shirt. “I heard from Jun that Adore U is doing the same promotion this month for White Day.” He’s tantalisingly close now, lips hovering a mere breath away.

“Oh, is that so?” Mingyu cocks his head, holding himself back from closing the gap just yet. 

“Wanna go get some free ice cream?” Wonwoo whispers, a soft smile spreading across his face.

Mingyu doesn’t hesitate in returning his smile. “It’ll be my pleasure.”

**Author's Note:**

> hmm i might have ruined adore u for myself now, oops  
> maybe ill attempt an adore u fluff fic to make myself feel better
> 
> anyway, this was my lame attempt at a valentine’s day meanie fic (it’s also really late bc i ended up overshooting my plan and writing like 19000 words of this mess …)
> 
> i hope u guys had a good valentine’s day (and carat day!!) <3
> 
> ps. the initial idea for this fic came from an ad i saw for a dessert store in my city, and they were offering 10% off for cheek kiss, 20% for a kiss, 30% for a french kiss and 40% for a ‘creative’ kiss on valentines day???? weird but ok


End file.
